Perfection Incarnate
by Sapphyre7
Summary: Clary is aggravated by Jace. Jace is enthralled by Clary. When Clary starts at Jace's school, there is the potential for anything to happen. Add Simon, Jon and the Lightwoods to the mix and then the fun begins. What happens when something from Clary's past comes back to bite her - will her friendships stand strong, or will her world crumble around her?
1. Chapter 1

**The time has come for me to step out of the comfort of my Harry Potter fanfictions and try something new. I'm quite excited to start this fanfiction and I really hope you all enjoy it. If you have any advice, critiques or feedback – feel free to review!**

"Clary, are we all packed?" My mother knocked on my door, peering inside. My art supplies were still all over the place, my clothes the only thing that had made it into my suitcase. I gave my mum a sheepish smile. In honesty, I didn't want to go back. I was settled here and it wasn't my choice to leave. When I was younger, I had managed to get myself a scholarship into a school completely focussed on art. It was the place to go for any aspiring artist and when I was 12, it seemed like the best thing I could possibly do. My parents had been supportive. So much so that my mother had moved across the country with me for the school terms, we only travelled back to be with my father and brother in the holidays. The scholarship had ran out and my parents had decided that the school was too expensive, meaning I would have to go to the same school as my brother for my junior year. My older brother Jon would be in his senior year.

"Here, let me help you." My mother started to gather up my supplies, arranging them tidily in the case. I loved my mother. We were so similar even when it came down to the small things like how you should treat your art supplies. "Your father is so excited to have us back!" My mother was clearly just as excited. I was nervous. The only person I really knew was Simon and I only ever saw him during the holidays when his family used to vacation with ours. Yeah, we texted all the time but it was different and I was frightened.

The time flew once we left the house and before I could even gather my thoughts, we were pulling into the drive of what would now be 'home'. As soon as my mother turned the lights off, my father was waiting on the doorstep. He embraced me tightly when I left the car.

"Oh Clary!" His arms engulfed me before holding me in front of him, looking me over. I smiled, a light blush covering my cheeks. He held my mother the same way before helping her retrieve the bags from the car.

"Where's Jonathan?" My mother asked, looking at the house which was completely in darkness bar the living room.

"He's out with friends tonight, he'll be back by curfew I'd imagine. He never misses curfew." My heart fell a little. I had thought he would have at least been here for when we had gotten back. It didn't surprise me though. Jon and I were hardly the closest after spending the last few years of our lives living on different sides of the country. Once we reached the kitchen, my phone vibrated in my pocket, pulling me from my thoughts.

 **Simon: Are you home yet? (STOP KEEPING ME IN SUSPENSE!)  
Clary: Yeah, come over if you like.  
Simon: Great! See you in 10! **

"Uh – Mum? Is it okay if Simon comes over? I haven't seen him for the last few months so I thought it would be good to have a catch up."

"That's fine Clary. Your mother and I have our own catching up to do." My dad smiled, nuzzling into my mum's neck. I gagged.

"Yeah, you two just go do whatever. Just not here okay." I gestured for them to get out of the kitchen. They quickly obliged as I heard their feet trampling up the stairs. _Gross, I didn't want to think about what they were doing up there._ I banished the thought from my head before rifling through the cupboards. You could tell that it was two men who had been living here. The cupboards were full of ready meals and snacks, any feeling of hunger I had been experiencing was instantly banished. There was a knock at the door and I skipped over to it, Simon was here and he was early! Finally some normality. I yanked the door open, but the large smile on my face was quickly replaced by a confused look which was replicated by the person stood at the door. If the sun was a person, it would have been him. His hair was golden, his eyes equally so.

"Who are you?" He asked, pushing the door out of my hand and striding past me into the house. My mouth fell open as I watched him stroll into the kitchen. By the time I had followed him in, he was already making himself some instant noodles.

"What are you doing?" I asked, hands on my hips as I stood in the doorway. He turned to face me, a look of amusement on his face.

"Making some noodles, isn't it obvious?" He grabbed a bowl from the cupboard.

"I meant, what are you doing in this house?"

"Why didn't you say that then?"

"Stop stalling and answer the question!" My face was burning as red as my hair.

"Ah! I know who you are now." He snapped his fingers in my direction before tucking into his noodles.

"Tell me who you are or I'll- I'll throw you out!" I tried to exude confidence, my temper fraying. A cocky smile played on his lips.

"I'm totally game for manhandling." He stalked over to the breakfast bar, taking a seat and making himself comfortable, watching me closely. It took all my will power not to stomp my feet on the floor. I was stuck. I couldn't ask my parents who this person was because who knows what they were up to! Just as I was about to implode, the door opened once more behind me. My brother Jon strolled into the kitchen in his gym gear, ruffling my hair as he walked past.

"Jace! You made it!" He high-fived the guy at the breakfast bar, before raiding the cupboards himself. Jace Herondale. Now I knew who he was. My brother's best friend, I'd been told all about him. I had just never had the opportunity to meet him, considering every time we came home for the holidays we usually went on vacation. "Don't mind Clary, she was just leaving – weren't you Clary?" I was just about to come back with the best retort you have ever heard in your life, when there was another knock at the door. Sighing, I went to answer it, hoping this time that it would be Simon. When I pulled the door open, my heart jumped with relief. It was Simon! He was stood on the doorstep in his usual get up of a film t-shirt and a pair of jeans, his arms laden with sweets and crisps.

"I thought we could have a movie night to celebrate your eventual return – Lord knows you took long enough to come home and here I was thinking we were friends, how wrong I-" Simon started to ramble, I dragged him through the door, marching him straight through to the living room. "Be gentle with me Clary! Be gentle!" He screamed as I dragged him through. I couldn't help but laugh, the first time I had since I had learnt that I would be returning for good.

"You pick out the movie and I'll go get some snack bowls." I gestured to the rack of DVDs in the living room.

"Jeez Clary, you've become very demanding!" Simon teased. I stuck my tongue out at him as I left the room. Bounding into the kitchen, I was surprised to just see Jace sitting there by himself, tapping away on his phone. I ignored him, walking behind him and reaching for the bowls which were inconveniently on the highest shelf.

"Do you need a boost?" I nearly jumped out of my skin as Jace's voice rang out right next to me.

"Ha ha. A short joke. How original." I mumbled, pulling myself onto the counter so that I could reach them.

"You know, if you'd asked me – I would have gotten you one down." Jace was watching me with curiosity. I span to face him, still on my knees on the counter.

"I didn't ask you though did I?" I muttered, turning back towards the cupboard, thinking how many bowls I would need. I'd decided on two, but before I could retrieve them, Jace's hand was in front of mine. He plucked the bowls out of the cupboard, before placing them on top of the fridge. I assessed the situation. The only way I could reach the top of the fridge was if I pulled a chair up. Jace looked very pleased with himself. What was with this guy, why was he so aggravating? "Pleased with yourself are we?" I asked, positioning myself on the counter so that I could jump down.

"Oh, be careful. It's a big drop." Jace remarked, before I landed perfectly fine on the ground.

"Bite me." I made an unpleasant gesture in Jace's direction.

"Don't tempt me, Red." I'd completely given up on my search for bowls now, I'd just eat it out of the bag, if it meant not having to deal with this arse. Simon looked confused when I went back into the living room.

"Should I ask what happened to the bowls?" Simon raised an eyebrow.

"Not yet, I still feel like I may implode." I muttered. "What film did you decide on?" I asked, noticing he hadn't put one in the TV yet.

"Well apparently the only thing your dad and brother seem to watch are war films. So, because I am so well prepared, I have brought some TV series that you may not have sampled – how about The Flash?" I nodded to whatever it was Simon had said, my mind still focussed on my interaction in the kitchen.

"Do you know Jace Herondale?" I asked, seemingly out of nowhere. Simon's face seemed to falter, but he quickly regained himself.

"He goes to my school, I'm pretty sure he's good friends with your brother. Other than that, there's not much else I can tell you, just trivial stuff. He plays football, he's a typical jock?" Simon shrugged, he didn't really seemed that interested. "Why do you ask?"

"He's in the kitchen and he's annoying as hell. It's like he has something against me, like he's just aggravating the hell out of me for the sake of it, moving things higher so I can't reach them and-" Just as I was telling Simon my story, Jace and Jon entered the living room. Jon's hair was still damp, so it was obvious that he had been in the shower during my exchange with Jace. I wondered if Jace would dare to be so obnoxious in front of my brother's face.

"Simon." Jon nodded, waltzing in and sprawling himself out on one of the sofas. Jace copied him on the other sofa.

"Jon." Simon answered, nowhere near as firmly. He crawled over quickly to the DVD player, putting his series in before the boys could claim the TV.

"So what are we watching?" Jace asked, resting his feet on the arm of the chair. I severely regretted siting on the floor, now where we were Simon and I going to sit? Would we just have to stay on the floor?

"It's The Flash, I'm sure you've heard of The Flash. I mean everyone's heard of The Flash." Simon was smiling, as he started through the setup menu. Jace just seemed to be nodding along not really taking any real interest. Once Simon was finished setting the show up, he hopped into the single seater with a bunch of the snacks. Now I was the only one sat on the floor. I started to get uncomfortable almost instantly and decided to try and worm my way next to Jonathan. I scooted along the floor, before trying to slide my way up onto the seat, knocking his legs out of the way.

"Don't bother Clary. I've been to the gym, I need to stretch my legs." Jon smiled, stretching and therefore dislodging me back onto the floor.

"You can sit here." Jace spoke up, moving his legs down from the sofa so that one side of it was free. I hesitantly made my way over before sitting down. I made sure to sit as close to the opposite side of the couch as I could, I didn't trust him. I started to get comfortable, that was until Jace slung his legs over the top of me, practically trapping me on the chair.

"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to push his legs off but they were like boulders, stuck fast.

"I said you could sit there. I didn't say I wasn't going to put my feet up again." Jace shrugged, stretching himself and taking up more of my space. I looked over at Simon who gave me a sympathetic look. Why hadn't I just sat with Simon? I wasn't uncomfortable, I was just aggravated. What was his deal? Next thing I knew, he was fishing through the snacks, picking out some sweets. I held my hand out expectantly, but he just ignored it.

"Share." I muttered, trying not to talk over the TV.

"You can have some if you can reach them." He mumbled, waving his hand in the air, just out of my reach. I was tired of these short jokes. Yes! I was smaller than average!

"I'm not a child." I remarked.

"Get the sweets then." He smirked. I tried to reach up for the sweets but the more I tried to reach the more his legs impeded me, keeping me rooted in my seat. He knew exactly what he was doing and it was clearly working. I was getting pissed off.

"Keep your sweets." I grumbled. "Let me up."

"The shows not over yet, don't you know it's rude to get up in the middle of something?" I hadn't even started school yet and I didn't think I would make it. I was ready to commit murder. It wouldn't surprise me if I ended this night in a prison cell.

 **A/N: Let me know how you found the first chapter of my first ever Mortal Instruments Fanficiton. Reviews warm my heart (: ~Sapph**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for taking your time to read this, I'm quite interested to see where I can take this at the moment. Any feedback is welcome (:**

I had to sit under Jace's legs for at least 3 episodes. Unfortunately, Jace and Jon seemed to enjoy it as much as Simon did, so they were in it for the long haul. After some time had passed, Jace started to let his guard slip, until his legs were finally loose enough for me to make my escape. I quickly pushed them up, ducking underneath them and out. Gasping for a drink, I scanned the room. Simon's eyes were glued to the TV, his facial expression changing in sync with the characters themselves. Jon was asleep in the corner, his limbs all over the place. And Jace was watching me. Out of the corner of his eye, but I could still see him doing it. Making my way into the kitchen, I started my hunt for glasses. I didn't hear him sneak up behind me, his footsteps silent.

"What you looking for?" He muttered in my ear. I span around again.

"What is it with sneaking up on people? You're lucky I didn't have a knife in my hand! I could have stabbed you or anything!" I growled.

"Is that wishful thinking?" I tried to pull my most menacing face but he just laughed at me. Not wanting to ask Jace to help me find the glasses in my own home, I decided to get myself a bottle of water instead. Simon was packing up his stuff when I wandered back into the living room, Jace on my tail like he had been all day.

"What? Where you going?" I asked Simon, pouting.

"My mum's just text me. She wants me home for school starting tomorrow." Simon smiled sympathetically. I nodded, it had hardly seemed like two minutes since he had come over. But on the plus side – at least it probably meant Jace would be leaving as well. At least I could hope. I walked Simon to the door.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?" He smiled, giving me a quick hug.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." He was off walking down the street at his brisk pace. "Text me!" I shouted after him before closing the door. Mum and Dad must have decided to just go to bed, because I couldn't hear anything from upstairs. I wandered back into the living room to see if Jon was still asleep, Jace cut my off in the door way.

"He's still asleep." He commented. "Now what to do?"

"Maybe go home?"

"Not what I had in mind, Red." He grinned down at me and I made a gagging noise.

"Definitely go home." I remarked, trying to make my way up the stairs.

"Didn't Jon tell you? I'm staying the night. You wouldn't want me to get bored would you?" Jace tried to play it cute, but I was having none of it.

"Do you like war films?" I tried to play equally as cute.

"Yeah, I'm quite partial to a good war movie."

"Good, there's plenty in the living room. Set yourself away. Goodnight!" I smiled as enthusiastically as I could manage before heading off towards my room. Tomorrow was going to be a strange day.

When my alarm went off, I could have cried. I wasn't ready for this. I knew I had to get myself out of bed, otherwise my mum would be in here trying to drag me out. As if on cue, a knock echoed through my door.

"Clarissa? Are you awake honey?" My mum called through the door.

"Yes." I moaned, throwing my covers back, sticking a foot out to test the temperature of the room. It was now or never. Once I was up, I had a shower, dried my hair and applied minimal makeup before trying to figure out which clothes I wanted to wear. Unsurprisingly, I decided upon a pair of jeans, a vest top and a flannel shirt open over the top. No doubt I had a pair of converse somewhere that would tie this all together. It was weird seeing a full breakfast bar, I was so used to it just being my mum and me. The only seat left at the table was the one next to Jace – how convenient. I managed to get onto the stool with ease, which I was thankful for. I didn't need to give Jace another reason to pick up on how short I was.

"Here Clarissa, have some toast." My dad passed me the plate over, and I picked up a single slice.

"Thanks dad." I smiled. "How am I getting to school then?" I queried.

"Well your mum has some job interviews she has to attend, and I have work. Jon will take you." My dad decided on the spot. Jon looked like he was going to protest, but my dad shot him a look and he was instantly silent. I smiled at Jon, before realised Jace would most likely be in the same car. Just what I needed, more time with Jace. I was so thankful that he wasn't going to be in any of my classes.

As we were leaving, my mum fussed over me, making sure that I had everything and that I was ready to go. The fussing was making me worse, making me anxious. Finally we were allowed to make our way to the car.

"Shit. I've forgotten my phone." Jon grumbled, unlocking the car. "Get in, I'll be two seconds." He ran back into the house. I made my way around to the back, ready to climb in. Jace was hot on my tail again as we approached Jon's SUV.

"You dare ask me if I want a boost, and I will take your face clean off." I muttered through a forced smile.

"Ooh, tell me more about what you want to do with my face." Jace purred at me.

"I could think of a few things." I growled at him before climbing into the back seat.

"Oh believe me, I can think of a few things too." He was looking at me over the back of the passenger seat, his golden eyes burning into my own.

"Why don't you just keep those things to yourself, hmm?" I'd just gotten the words out of my mouth when Jon climbed into the car. Jace didn't act himself in front of Jon, he was relatively well behaved, and his comments few and far between and nowhere near as lewd.

 **Clary: Will you please meet me outside of the school, please please please!  
Simon: Sure-io! What's up buttercup?  
Clary: I'll tell you when I see you. Talk soon **

I could see Simon as we pulled up to the school, his Star Wars shirt giving him away. With a quick thanks, I was out of the car and hastily walking across the lawn to where Simon was stood.

"Thank god!" I sighed when I reached Simon.

"That bad, huh?" Simon laughed, rubbing my back reassuringly.

"He's just too much!"

"Who is?"

"Jace! He just won't leave me alone. He's just constantly on me, winding me up, trying to get under my skin."

"Seems like he's managed it." Simon muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing. Stay away from him?" Simon suggested.

"I'm going to have to try. I feel like I'm losing my mind!"

"Yeah, I've heard he has that effect on people."

"You didn't tell me that when I first asked." I said.

"Well I didn't realise you wanted like a detailed run down. I did say typical jock and what does a typical jock do? Gets girls and lots of them. Anyway, this is my form room, where's yours?" I showed him my schedule and he directed me down the corridor. I was relieved to see that I was early, so that I had my pick of the desks. A girl with long black hair followed me in. Out of all of the empty seats she could have chosen, she sat down in the one next to me, immediately extending her hand.

"Hi. I'm Isabelle Lightwood. I haven't seen you around here before?" She was quick to the point. I kind of liked her.

"Clarissa Morgenstern, just Clary is fine though." I was quick to take her hand.

"As in Jon Morgenstern?" She wasn't shy. "It's not a very common name, is it?"

"Yeah, that's my brother." The room was quickly filling up around us. "Do you have any siblings?" I asked, going down the same route.

"Two biological, one adopted – all brothers." Isabelle started but didn't get to finish as the teacher had finally sought out the classroom and was commanding the attention of everyone in it. When we had a moment, Isabelle and I compared timetables. It was hit and miss. Some lessons we had together, others we didn't. I made a mental note to compare timetables with Simon when I got a chance.

 **Jace's POV**

It was surprising how much I had enjoyed last night and earlier today. Clary was an easy target and she bit so easily, it made teasing her so much more entertaining. I had to admit though, she was cute when she got all stroppy. I don't know if it was because she was my best friend's sister but for some reason, I felt oddly protective of her. Like I needed to watch over her. Although after what I'd seen of her, it seemed like she could handle herself – she'd threatened to beat me up enough times over the past 24 hours. I'd be a liar if I said it didn't interest me what was going on between her and that Simon kid. Was that her type? When first period was over, I was on my way towards History and that was the first time I saw her in the halls. With Isabelle. Interesting how these things work out.

 **Clary's POV**

Isabelle met me after my first lesson, ready to help me to second period because we were in the same class. I could see Jace across the room, heading in our direction. Surely he wasn't coming to wind me up. When he reached us, he rested his elbow casually on Isabelle's shoulder and I was confused.

"Jace, this is Clary." Isabelle started but Jace cut over her.

"We've already met, Iz." He stopped leaning against her. "Isn't that right, Red?" He ruffled my hair as he went past, his eyes never leaving mine as he backed across the hallway.

"I should have known that you would have already met, silly me." Isabelle chirped, grabbing my arm and leading me towards my next class.

"I didn't realise you knew him."

"Oh I forgot we never got around to the specifics did we? That's my adopted brother, Jace." Isabelle smiled. How typical of me, to make friends with his sister.

"Is he always like that?"

"Most of the time."

I barely paid attention through most of my classes, sketching in my notepad. I missed art school. Well most of it. Some of it didn't deserve speaking about. The end of the school day was drawing near and my last period was shared with Isabelle – art, my favourite.

"I have the most fantastic idea." Isabelle spouted up as we were finishing up our sketches of a pineapple on the teachers desk. Basic stuff really. "Why don't you come home with me for tea?" Isabelle smiled and I felt bad saying no.

"That sounds great. I'll have to let my parents know though."

My parents were completely fine with the idea, probably just happy that I was making an effort to fit in. I hadn't seen Simon all day, so I dropped him a text.

 **Clary: Missed you today buddy, catch up later?  
Simon: My answer is obviously yes. Where and when missus?  
Clary: I'm going to Isabelle's for a bit after school, so after then. Can I let you know the details a bit later?  
Simon: Woah woah woah! Who is this new friend of yours? Isabelle as in Lightwood?  
Clary: Stop being nosy. See you later x **

As we walked to Isabelle's house, I prayed in my head the whole way that Jace wouldn't be there. I'd only known him a day and I needed a break from him already. My worst fears were already confirmed once I stepped over the threshold of the house for who should be standing on the landing in nothing but a towel but my tormentor himself. Why oh why had I agreed to this.


	3. Chapter 3

Isabelle scoffed, dragging me after her into the kitchen. Her parents didn't appear to be home. Footsteps on the staircase informed me that Jace was most likely on his way down to pester us. Isabelle must have seen the look on my face, as she met him head on in the doorway.

"If you're wanting to come in the kitchen, will you at least put some clothes on – we don't want to see it!" Isabelle was lecturing him in the doorway, I was silently cheering her on.

"I need a drink Iz, I'll be two seconds, can you just move out – of the – way." Jace grunted, trying to edge his way around Isabelle. She stood firm.

"No Jace! Put some clothes- wait, what was that?" I'd heard it as well. A bang rang out from above and then what sounded like shuffling. Now it was Jace's turn to try and stop Isabelle from getting past him.

"It'll just be something falling over in my room, Iz. I'll sort it, don't worry." But she was like a woman possessed. She slipped underneath his arm, before tearing up the stairs. Jace was trying to run after her, but you can only go so fast with a towel wrapped around your waist. I hung back. 1. So that I didn't get involved. 2. Because I had images of Jace's towel coming undone.

It all happened very quickly. A scream rang out, then Isabelle started shouting. I didn't know where to hide my face when a girl came running down the stairs, pulling her tshirt back over her head. No one was chasing her, Jace and Isabelle bickering between themselves.

"You are sooo embarrassing Jace! You can't live your life like this!" I could hear her shouting above me. I placed myself at the table, flicking my phone open so if they came down it would look as though I hadn't been listening.

 **Clary: Rescue me…  
Simon: Sup?  
Clary: Yknow that feeling when you hear something you shouldn't?  
Simon: Do tell!  
Clary: No! I may be meeting you sooner than expected though..  
Simon: I look forward to prising the information from you in person ;) **

I giggled at my phone, placing it back in my pocket because my battery was starting to die and I needed it to let Simon know the details later.

"What's so funny?" I hadn't even heard him come down but he was stood in the doorway, a pair of loose fitting grey jogging bottoms replacing the towel. I just shook my head, shrugging. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Not really. Where's Isabelle?" I asked, wondering where she had gotten too.

"No doubt she'll be down in a few minutes, once she's calmed herself down a little bit. You think she'd learn not to leave me alone with her friends, but alas, here we are again." He sauntered over to the fridge, grabbing some juice from inside. I could understand the appeal. His body looked as though it was chiselled from stone, every feature perfectly defined. Shame about his attitude.

"Yeah, Isabelle doesn't have to worry about that one." I smiled. "You shouldn't either." Jace's eyes flashed wickedly as he made his way over to where I was sat, instantly putting me on the edge of my seat.

"I'm sure you'll come to regret saying that." He muttered, mere centimetres from my ear. I tried to move from my seat but Jace had practically wedged himself behind me. As soon as I was on my feet, Jace had me backed up, against the table.

"Excuse me."

"Excuse you." Jace repeated, not moving an inch. I rolled my eyes.

"Please." I mumbled, resigning myself.

"What was that?" Jace asked, leaning himself forward so that his hands were on either side of the table forcing me to lean back slightly so that our bodies wouldn't touch.

"Please!" I yelped, my face burning up. Jace pulled back, a smug grin on his face.

"All you had to do was ask nicely." He pulled himself back so he was stood straight once more, looking down at me. "Until later, Red." He timed his exit perfectly with Isabelle's entrance and I hoped that any trace of blushing was gone from my face.

"Clary, do you mind if we go and get food elsewhere? I can't really deal with being in this house right now…" Isabelle trailed off. This was the best idea she had had all day. I tried not to appear too eager to get out of here.

"We could go to Java Jones?" I smiled, and Isabelle linked my arm, seemingly overjoyed.

"I'm so glad you understand Clary! I'm just not sure what I'll do if I'm left in this house with him."

"What happened? You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to that is." I said, somewhat awkwardly as we headed towards Java Jones.

"He's clearly skipped last period to come home with Lara. I'm so pissed, Clary! I'm on the cheerleading team with her, she's supposed to be my friend. She used to come and do homework at my place all of the time, I never thought there was anything between her and Jace but clearly that's what she was after all along! I wouldn't mind if he actually got a girlfriend, that's completely different. But he just acts as though it's a game, he really needs to grow up." Isabelle vented. I nodded in agreement. "I thought he would grow out of it, but he just seems to have gotten worse. No woman is safe." I knew how that felt. He didn't seem to have any inhibitions, acting purely on impulse.

Isabelle ordered for the both of us when we reached Java Jones as I found a booth in one of the darker corners of the room. She curled up on the seat next to me when she got back.

"So enough about Jace. What about you?"

I shrugged. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, what was your life like before you came to McKenna High?" I started to feel a bit uneasy, my hands reaching out to hold my coffee cup so that I didn't look like a jabbering wreck.

"Well I went to art school. It was full of the usual types. Most people had pretty big personalities, or individual styles. It was kind of a free place to be. I enjoyed it, but we didn't have enough money for me to stay there, so I had to come back." I shrugged.

"So, there were no nice boys there then?" She grinned, and I just shook my head.

"Not really, no." I wasn't ready to talk about this yet. "How about you?"

"Well, I kind of have strange taste." Isabelle smiled into the back of her hand before glancing to either side of the room. "If I tell you, you have to promise not to say anything, to anyone! Especially not Jace or Jon for that matter!"

"Your secrets safe with me." I smiled, the coffee cup warming my hands.

"Well, I'm not sure if you've met him yet. But his name is Simon Lewis." I had to hold onto my seat. I couldn't believe my ears. But then I caught myself – why was I so shocked? Simon had really come into his own this year. He'd really matured. "He's in our year. I've liked him for a few years now but he never really looks my way." She seemed a bit downhearted but I had a feeling it was probably because he was either intimidated by her or because he didn't feel good enough.

"He would be crazy to not be interested." I smiled, lifting my coffee to my lips. Isabelle smiled, taking a sip of her own.

"So, have you seen anyone that you like the look of?" I shook my head.

"Not yet." I smiled, but if I was being honest, it wasn't really something I was looking for. Not after my last experience.

"Clary!" A familiar voice called out and I immediately began to feel awkward. Simon was bounding across Java Jones in my direction. Isabelle was looking at me with narrowed eyes, had I forgot to mention I knew Simon?

"Simon, what are you doing here?" I asked, careful to keep an eye on Isabelle.

"Well, I was waiting on your text message and I thought I may as well come here and wait for you to get in touch. Didn't realise you'd already be here, hanging without me!" Simon pulled a sad face as he squeezed in at our table.

"Simon, this is Isabelle. Isabelle, this is Simon." They exchanged pleasantries and Isabelle's face softened.

"So how do you guys know each other?" Isabelle asked, I could tell she was probing though.

"We've only been best friends forever!" Simon said, taking a sip of his coffee and burning his mouth on it.

"Since we were five or something." I added and Isabelle seemed to calm a little. Simon and Isabelle were discussing some class or other amongst themselves, when my phone vibrated in my pocket. Someone was calling me which was unusual. Must be my dad, he was the only one who hadn't really grasped the idea of texting.

 **UNKNOWN CALLER ID**

I started to feel sick to my stomach. This didn't mean anything. It could just be a wrong number. I waited it out either way, stuffing my phone back into the pocket of my jeans.

"Clary? Are you alright? Clary?" Simon was looking right at me, a look of confusion on his face.

"Yeah, I think I might have had something funny to eat." I tried to play it down. Isabelle looked concerned. "If it's alright with you two, I'm going to head home? I think I need a lie down." I started to get to my feet, gathering my things.

"Are you alright to go home Clary?" Simon asked, looking posed to get up himself.

"We can walk you home if you like, it's no problem." Isabelle joined in. I shook my head.

"Honestly, don't worry about me. I'll catch up with you both tomorrow. Try not to have too much fun without me." I smiled directly at Isabelle. Was she blushing?

"See you tomorrow Clary." She smiled, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'll text you later okay?" Simon said, as I was leaving.

My walk home was nerve-wracking. I couldn't walk around a corner without looking around it first. As I reached the park opposite my house, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Only once though – a text. I paused momentarily to check it and immediately wished I hadn't.

 **Unknown ID: Clary, if this is your phone, please call me back. We can't leave things like this. Call me back.**

I deleted the message from my phone instantly, as though it would do some good. I ran through the park as quick as I could muster, collapsing in the hallway of my house as soon as I had shut the door behind me. I kept my eyes trained firmly on the door as though I had been chased and whatever I was running from was on the other side. I nearly flew 3 foot in the air when someone grabbed my shoulder and span me around. I was still struggling to catch my breath, the air around my face thick and heavy. I flinched away from whoever was touching me, pushing them away from me and inadvertently shoving myself back into the door.

"Woah Clary, calm down." Jon was stood in front of me, Jace at his side. The pair of them were equipped with gym bags. I picked my own bag up from the floor, making for the stairs. "Clary, what's wrong? What's happened?" Jon was shouting after me, but I was off. I made it up the stairs in record time, shutting myself in my room before barricading myself in my bathroom. I thought I'd gotten away from all of this. I thought it was all done. Why had I been so naïve?

 **Jace's POV**

"Honestly Jon, you'd think I'd been going at it in her bed the way she flew off on me." I laughed, still completely baffled by Isabelle's outburst earlier. Yes, I understood Lara was a friend of hers. Yes, I could understand it would be embarrassing for her. Did it justify the way she went about it? Absolutely not.

"You know what sisters are like though mate. I'm dreading what Clary's going to be like." Jon commented, packing his gym bag in the living room.

"She can't be any worse than Isabelle. At least she's kind of quiet."

"Have you met my sister? She's the hardest person to read, ever. You think you're doing everything right and then bam, it's suddenly wrong." Jon shook his head, lifting his bag over his shoulder. "Let's go then, coach will be expecting us." As we were walking into the hall, Clary came flying through the doorway like a bright red firework. Her bag flew off to the side, her body trembling. Jon tensed up next to me, moving towards Clary. He reached out towards her, spinning her on the spot. I couldn't believe my eyes. Her eyes were blazing, her skin glistening with sweat. She pushed Jon away from her, stumbling backwards herself. What on earth had happened to her since I'd seen her at my house? Like a streak of lightening she was off, dashing up the stairs as Jon shouted after her.

"What's gotten into her?" I asked and Jon just sighed placing his gym bag down on the floor.

"You go ahead, tell coach I'll be late. I've got to deal with this. Something's not right." He started up the stairs after her and I felt uneasy just walking out after witnessing this. On my way to the field, I pulled out my phone.

 **Jace: Iz, I get that you're pissed at me, but I need you to call me as soon as you get a moment.**

I had to figure out what was going on.

 **Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews. I've had some really lovely reviews for this story & it really helps speed up the writing process. ~Sapph**


	4. Chapter 4

**Clary's POV**

It was as though my senses were running tenfold. The smell of shower gel burning my nose, the feel of the cold hard floor beneath me sending shivers up my spine, the sound of the stairs creaking sending fear into my heart. My immediate response was to look for an escape which proved impossible in my windowless en-suite. The doorknob rattled and I felt on the brink of tears. This wasn't at all how I had imagined my first day at school panning out and here I was thinking Jace was my biggest problem. Naïve.

"Clary, come out here please?" It was Jon. Why hadn't he just left?

"Go play football Jon." I shouted back, pressing myself against the door.

"I'd suggest you move away from the door, if you're not coming out, I'm coming in." _Was he serious? He couldn't be._

"Mum and Dad would kill you."

"I'll deal with that when I come to it. Back up Clary." He sounded deadly serious.

"You're kidding right?"

"Try me." I couldn't let him break the door down, because then Mum and Dad would ask all sorts of questions and it would be a lot harder to get out of that one than it would be to just talk to Jon now.

"Calm down Hulk, I'm coming out." I sighed, lifting myself my feet. I gingerly pulled the door open, feeling awkward that he was seeing me like this. As soon as the door was a fraction open, Jon pushed it further, trying to help me out of the bathroom.

"Are you okay? Do you need help?" Jon asked, as I walked over to the bed.

"I'm alright thank you." I smiled best I could, getting into bed and pulling the covers up to my chin. "Go to practice. I'm fine." I tried to sound convincing.

"Clary. You forget I'm your brother. I've seen you in some pretty bad states like that time I accidentally sat on and broke those expensive pencils you'd been saving up for, but even that doesn't compare to now. I've never seen you like this before. Let me help, please." Jon said, sitting himself down on the bed next to me. I didn't know what to say to him.

"It's nothing, honestly." I muttered into the blankets. _I just wanted to be left alone._

Jon wasn't buying it. "You're not all that good at lying." He frowned. I had to give him something. Some believable piece of information that would get him off my back.

"Fine." I let him believe that he had won. "A break up." _It wasn't a lie really._ Jon sighed.

"I knew there was something! Are you missing him – or her?" Jon asked.

"No, I'm not missing him. I'm just finding the transition difficult." I admitted. It was so good to get this off my chest, even if I was telling it in its vaguest form.

"You know what you need to do then, don't you? Delete all the pictures, block all the numbers, seal away that part of your life and don't look back. You've got a new life here now Clary. It's like having a fresh start, a clean slate." Jon said and a lightbulb flashed in my head. I could just block the number, _why hadn't I thought of that before!_ Probably because I got into my head too much and panicked. As for the pictures, they were deleted long ago. The memories on the other hand, were not as easy to discard.

"You're actually pretty good at this y'know. The whole advice thing." I nudged his shoulder, the feeling of dread having finally lifted from my stomach. If I blocked the number, then he would just think he'd gotten the wrong one and leave me alone!

"I have enough practice with Jace." Jon scoffed. I was surprised.

"Jace doesn't really me strike me as the type of person to fall in love, or have a girlfriend for that matter." I added.

"Oh he isn't. He just tends to get himself into situations that require a massive amount of advice and a healthy dose of excuses." Jon flashed me a grin and I shook my head.

"Why doesn't that surprise me? Anyway! Get yourself off to football, I'm sick of looking at your face." I smirked, shoving Jon's shoulder. He laughed, getting to his feet.

"Only if you're sure?" He said, backing out of the room, slowly.

"I'm sure, go on. Thank you for the advice as well. I appreciate it." I smiled.

"Anytime." He smiled before I heard him clattering down the stairs and out of the door. As soon as I was sure he was gone, I set about blocking the number on my phone.

 **Jace's PoV**

Isabelle finally called me as I was taking a water break.

"What do you want?" She mumbled on the other end, pretending like she was pissed at me but I could tell that she'd already forgiven me.

"You alright Iz? Just seen Clary at Jon's and she seemed a bit shook up. Anything I should know about?" I asked, casually.

"Uh – she said she'd eaten something funny I think? Is she alright?" Isabelle asked, concerned. So she didn't know anything either. Whatever was going on with Clary wasn't just food poisoning, she looked scared half to death.

"I think so yeah, just was wondering if you knew anything." I said. "And to see if you were okay, of course." I added.

"Hmm, I bet that was why. Why the interest anyway?" She was probing, I could hear it in her voice.

"No interest, she's Jon's sister – I'm just looking out for a mate. Jon would do the same for me if it was you."

"I'm sure. Is that all – just I'm a bit – busy?" Isabelle started to ramble, acting nervous all of a sudden.

"What are you up to Isabelle Lightwood?" I laughed down the phone.

"Nothing! Goodbye!" She practically shouted before hanging up on me. As I was putting my phone back in my gym bag, I caught sight of Jon talking to the coach, clearly apologising profusely. He was never one for being late so I knew he'd get away with it.

"All good?" I asked as he reached me, putting his gym bag next to mine. He seemed in better spirits anyway.

"All sorted." He smiled, grabbing his water bottle.

"Anything you need help with?"

"Nah, probably just some douche from her old school. Sounds like she was pretty stuck on him though. I've told her to just forget about it." Something still wasn't sitting right with me. I couldn't shake the feeling that she'd looked scared, but maybe that was just paranoia on my part. If Jon said she was fine, then she must be fine. I was probably just thinking too much into it. Why was I so bothered anyway?

 **Clary's POV**

I found the best way to clear my mind was to make myself busy. Being the only one in the house, I thought it would be nice if I made everyone dinner, considering our first night all together had been rudely interrupted by golden strangers and my parents 'making up for lost time'. My Dad was the first to get back.

"Hello?" He shouted to the house as he walked in the door.

"Hi Dad." I smiled, popping my head out of the kitchen. He dropped his briefcase at the door, heading in my direction. Once he reached me, he hugged me tightly, catching me off guard.

"I'm used to nobody being home to answer me. What a welcome change this is. I'm so glad you and your mother could come home Clary." He smiled. "What is it you've being doing in here?" His eyes finally catching sight of the various cooking equipment.

"Magic." I said simply, attending once more to the various pots and pans.

"I don't doubt it. Speaking of magic, it sounds like your mother is home." He commented, drifting back off into the hallway. Sure enough, he was right. Moments later a sharp crack rang out as my mother clambered her way into the hallway. I could hear her grumbling about briefcases and leaving things on the floor and hoped that this wouldn't be the first argument I would have to witness. It wasn't the idea I was going for when I thought of 'family dinner'.

"I'm sorry honey, I just am so used to it just being Jon and I, I sometimes forget myself." My mum seemed appeased by this answer.

"You're cooking Clary?" She remarked, moments later.

"Yup, no biggie." I shrugged, trying my creation. My mum and dad exchanged weird looks, I chose to ignore it.

"I hope you've made enough for five." My dad eventually said as he was laying the table.

"Five?" I asked, already knowing the answer to my question.

"Well Jace has his dinner here most nights. As long as that's alright with you?" He seemed to be asking my mother more than he was me. She shrugged, not really caring either way.

"Well, I was kind of hoping –"I started but the door opened once more as I was mid-sentence. So much for that idea. Jon made a beeline straight for me.

"How you feeling?" He muttered under his breath and I was thankful that he was discreet about this.

"Good, thanks. Do you want to get some plates out?" I asked.

Dinner passed by without a hitch. Jace was unusually quiet and I wasn't sure whether it was my parent's presence that had silenced his tongue or maybe he was feeling embarrassed for what had occurred earlier today at his house. I'd put money on the first. He didn't seem like the type to get embarrassed. Once we'd all eaten in silence, I gathered up the plates. I should have known my parents were up to something when they offered to wash the dishes.

"Clary?" My mum caught me as I was leaving the kitchen. "I know you were aiming for a family night, but would you mind if you father and I went to a late night movie? It's been such a long time since we've had the chance and your father has a late morning at work tomorrow and –"She seemed to be rambling. Who was I to stop her happiness?

"Don't worry about it, Mum. I was going to have an early night anyway." In truth, I wasn't all that tired. Once they had left, I settled myself down in the lounge, checking my phone. Simon hadn't text me – that was weird. But I also didn't have any strange messages or phone calls, which put my mind at ease. After a while, I started to fidget and headed upstairs.

"Clary!" Jon shouted as I went past. I stuck my head in his room. He was sat with Jace on his bed, playing some sort of football game on his Xbox. "Come sit a minute." I hesitantly walked into the room, sitting myself on the very edge of the bed. Jace seemed to be avoiding all eye contact with me, which was bizarre considering how full on he'd been the last few days. "We're trying to organise some sort of day out this weekend, you game?" I shrugged,

"Yeah, why not?" I had nothing better to do, and no doubt I'd be able to invite Isabelle and Simon.

"Wonderful." Jace remarked, a fraction of a smile on his face. _What was with him?_

"Well if that's all. I'm going to bed." I picked myself up and headed off down the hall to my own bedroom. It was only when I got there that I realised my phone was ringing. Nervously, I searched for it. But it wasn't in my pocket. It was coming from Jon's room! As fast as I could, I ran back towards Jon's bedroom.

 **Jace's POV**

I don't know why but I was in a bad mood. I just couldn't be bothered, it was as though I was just drained and over it. My usual wit was failing me and I was ready for this day to be over. Opportunity to regain some entertainment from today surfaced however when I realised Clary had left her phone on the bed unattended…and someone was calling it. _Too perfect._

"Clary's phone." I answered, Jon shook his head at me, smiling.

"Clary?!"

"Clary can't come to the phone right now, can I take a message?"

"Wait – who the hell is this?" The voice started to get irate. _Never mind who I was, who the hell was this? Was this him? The 'break up' guy?_

"Who the hell are you?" Just as the voice on the other end of the phone was going off at me, calling me some rather choice names, Clary burst in through the door. Her eyes were blazing like they had been earlier and the smile on Jon's face suddenly wasn't there anymore.

 **Clary's POV**

Jace had suddenly stopped in his tracks, the whole room silent apart from _his_ voice on the other end of the phone. I could hear him swearing, getting angry – saying my name. How had he managed to call me? Hadn't I blocked the number? Had he just called me from another one? Jace handed me back my phone and I immediately hit the 'End Call' button before switching it off.

"Clary, I-"Jon started but stopped as soon as he saw the tears welling up in my eyes.

"Clary, I didn't mean-" Jace tried to take over, rising from the bed slowly. I held my hand up to stop him talking.

"You-You shouldn't have done that." I managed to say, stifling a sob before turning on my heel, not wanting to cry in front of them. Yes, he'd only meant it as a joke but he had no idea what he was getting involved with. As I was walking down the hall, I could have sworn I heard Jon say "You have to apologise." I threw myself under the covers of my bed, pulling them over my head. He could come and apologise all he wanted, but for now, right in this moment, I wasn't ready to listen to it.

 **Thank you everyone who takes their time out to read and review (: I'm trying to get at least 1 chapter of this story out a day, let me know how you find it! ~Sapph**


	5. Chapter 5

**So sorry that I didn't manage to update yesterday! Please accept my apologies and enjoy this new chapter!**

 **Jace's POV**

"You have to apologise mate – she doesn't look happy." How had this even happened? I'd only answered the phone thinking it would be that dorky Simon kid on the other side.

"I didn't expect it to be _him_ man. I thought she would have blocked him or something. I thought it would have just been that Simon kid." I shrugged. I really hadn't intended for this to happen.

"I'm sure she'll be fine if you just apologise to her." Jon suggested. "And maybe don't touch her phone in the future, for good measure yknow?" Jon indicated to the door and I knew if I didn't apologise, he'd be on my back all night. He had a skill in that area.

"Fine. If you hear screaming though, please come and rescue me." I lazily scooted off the bed and walked down the hall at a snailpace. I really didn't want to do this. I wasn't used to apologising to anyone, or for anything, it wasn't my style. I knocked on the door, hoping she would tell me to go away or something. No answer. I opened the door a fraction, peeking inside. "Clary?" I questioned but no one responded. There was a lump in the middle of her bed, small noises coming from it. I had to go over. Placing myself on the edge of the bed, I shook the lump gently. Nothing. Pulling the covers back, I finally caught sight of her face. She was asleep but it was clear that her eyes were all red and puffy. She'd been crying – jeez, I didn't realise I'd upset her this much. _Was she really that caught up over this guy? Or was it just because I'd invaded her privacy?_ Just as I was lost in thought, one of her eyes popped open.

 **Clary's POV**

All I could see was Jace's face swimming into focus, his golden eyes locked onto mine. It was the last thing I wanted to see right now – scratch that, make that second last. We sat in silence for a good five minutes. I didn't dare shut my eyes, watching him suspiciously.

"Look, Clary-"Jace started, trailing off. I just looked at him, bored. Nothing he could say could make me feel any better. He didn't even understand the magnitude of the situation.

"Just leave it Jace." My voice came out strange and croaky. I cleared my throat.

"It was just meant to be a joke."

"Well it wasn't a very funny one."

"I didn't realise it would be _him._ " Jace remarked. _What did he mean by that?_

"'Him'?" I asked, shooting up in my bed. He looked uncomfortable, like he'd just stuck his foot in something messy. He ran his hand through his hair, laughing awkwardly.

"I didn't mean to say that."

"Well, you have now. So explain what you mean." I crossed my arms across my chest. Surely he hadn't thought he was getting out of it that easily? He sighed.

"I just thought it might have been a guy you were into." I stared at him, demanding the truth with my eyes. "Fine, Jon may have mentioned that you were in the middle of a break up."

"Not in the middle. At the end." I said firmly. _Why was I justifying myself to him?_

"Sorry if I've made things difficult for you two." He just wasn't getting this and I was getting more pissed off with each passing moment. I reached underneath my pillow, pulling my phone out and turning it on. As soon as it came to life, the screen was filled with records of missed calls and a mountain of texts.

"You only made it difficult for me, you made it easy for him." I showed him my phone briefly, he looked confused. Just looking at my phone was stressing me out, from the looks of things he had been texting and calling from various numbers. _How was I ever going to get away from this – change my number again?_

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"What is there to talk about?" I could feel myself getting irate, tossing my phone off the bed. Jace quickly retrieved it.

"Do you want me to delete these for you?" He asked, trying to be helpful. I quickly snatched the phone back. Yes I wanted them deleted, but I didn't want Jace to see what could potentially be in there.

"No, that's alright. I'll sort it." I muttered, placing my phone back under the pillow where it started vibrating again. Jace's eyes were glaring directly into mine and I started to fidget under his gaze.

"Let me answer it."

"No."

"I can fix it."

"I don't want it fixed. No one can fix it."

"I can try."

"No! You don't even understand the situation, so how could you possibly fix it?"

"Tell me then." Jace's eyes pleaded with me and I was more confused than ever.

"All you need to know Jace is that I don't want anything to do with him. He wasn't a nice person and the last thing I want is him having my phone number, again. Do you know how many times I've had to change it over the last 3 months? Too many. It's only a matter of time before my parents start asking questions." It felt refreshing to get this off my chest and at least with Jace I didn't have to worry about it getting back to my parents.

"Why worry though? Ignore him and surely he'll just go away?" I just shook my head. "Is it because you're scared?" I shot Jace a look, my eyes questioning his. I couldn't bring myself to speak, my voice caught up in my throat. "When you came back earlier, you looked scared. Like you were being chased by something. That's what I thought anyway." Jace shrugged and I could feel my cheeks flushing. He'd hit the nail on the head. I was terrified.

"I've already said he's not a nice person." Now it was Jace's time to question me, his eyes looking at me as if to say ' _really?'_ "I don't want to talk about." Jace's face fell.

"And here I was thinking that we were getting somewhere." He scowled. "I think it might be worth me just getting Jon in here." He went to get up and I immediately grabbed his hand, rooting him back to the spot. If he told Jon, Jon would tell my parents and then I would completely lose control over it. Jace looked pleased with himself.

"I don't think I can talk about this." I shook my head.

"Scoot up." Jace muttered, getting to his feet. I obliged, moving myself to the left. He sat himself down next to me on the bed, his arm draping across my shoulders.

"Ok then." I looked at him confused.

"Way to shoot me down."

"What did you expect, fanfare?"

"Well I expected a bit more than an ok then." I shrugged, I suppose it did feel somewhat reassuring?

"Fine, thank you. Is that better?"

"A bit. Anyway, we're drifting away from topic. You were just about to confess your soul to me." Jace smiled. "Well whatever bits of soul you're comfortable with, that is." _I wasn't comfortable with any of it, but this was the lesser of two evils._

"I wouldn't know where to start."

"How about with a name?" The idea of just repeating his name made me feel sick to my stomach. He had been nameless for so long, giving him a name somehow made him seem more real, more threatening. "Clary, you're starting to worry me – maybe I should tell Jon." Jace said, starting to sound genuinely worried.

"Sebastian, okay? Sebastian." I exhaled, my body shaking involuntarily. Jace's arm gripped me firmly.

"See was that so hard?" He looked at me and got his answer. "Clary, I'm just going to ask you questions and either shake or nod your head. Did he end things with you?"

I shook my head. _I wish it was that simple._

"Did he cheat on you?"

I shook my head again. _Even that was preferable._

"Did he hurt you?"

I nodded my head, slightly. Well aware of the implications of agreeing to such a vague term. Jace's hand started to twitch at my side, his fingers tapping like he was counting.

"Your feelings?"

I half-nodded.

"Physically?"

Another half-nod. Jace's arm tensed up as I hung my head.

"Clary, you've got to tell someone about this. Maybe your mum?"

"I can't. Please don't tell anyone." My eyes were brimming with tears, my heart full of fear once more.

"Will you please at least tell me, my mind is racing with the possibilities right now?" I still couldn't get the words out but I knew we would never get to the specifics with such vague questions.

"He was just kind of volatile. He didn't rape me or anything if that's what you're thinking." _Although he did try._ "He just got frustrated sometimes and didn't know how to deal with it properly." Jace frowned.

"It sounds like you're kind of defending him. There's no excuse for lashing out at someone Clary. Regardless whether you can deal with your anger well or not, you don't just hit people." I nodded, he was right of course. But I didn't want to be a victim. I didn't want to be that girl who'd been in a somewhat abusive relationship. "You don't have to tell me anymore today. But I want you to know that if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'll listen. Sometimes it's better to have an impartial opinion. Try not to worry about it though. He can't get to you here. The worst he can do is send you a text or try and call you. Delete it on sight and he'll sharp give up." Jace squeezed me tightly before lifting himself up from the bed. He picked up one of my sketchpads, flipped to a spare page before ripping it out. If I wasn't thankful for his little talk, I would have scolded him. He scribbled something down, handing it to me.

"Here. It's my number. If you ever need to talk, hit me up." I took the piece of paper gently.

"Thanks." I smiled, folding the edges of the paper.

"Do you feel alright? Or do you want me to stay a bit longer?"

"I'm alright, thanks. You should probably get back to Jon." I said.

"Yeah, he might think there's something untoward happening in here if I don't. I wouldn't want him getting jealous." Jace winked at me, backing out of the room. "Sleep tight, Red." He squeezed the door shut. I put the note down on the bedside table, along with my phone. Curling back up in a ball, I closed my eyes feeling a little better. Jace was right – he couldn't get me here.

I woke early the next morning, probably because of all the sleep I'd had yesterday. I grabbed my phone from the side, I had to do this at some point. Better to get it over and done with. I didn't even open the messages just deleting them outright, blocking every different number that I came across. The only messages I did open were the ones from Simon.

 **Simon: Isabelle said something about you being upset? Are you alright?  
Simon: Clary?  
Simon: =(  
Simon: Have I upset you? **

I penned a quick reply before quickly adding Jace's number to my phone.

 **Clary: Sorry Si, I didn't feel well so I went straight to bed. Please forgive me. Make up coffee at Java's after school?**

His response was instantaneous.

 **Simon: Thank god! I was one step away from beating your door down girl! See you at school**

I hopped in the shower, ready to wash away the worries of yesterday. I took longer than I had hoped, meaning I would have to skip breakfast this morning. I dressed myself in an outfit similar to that of yesterday, similar to that of my entire life my mum would say. I crashed into Jon and Jace in the doorway.

"Can I have a ride?" I asked Jon, as I was pulling on my shoes.

"No problem Clary, but we're taking Jace's car this morning." Jon looked to Jace, who nodded his head.

"Not a problem, Red."

Simon shot me a weird look when I climbed out of Jace's car once we reached school, which quickly disappeared once he saw Jon get out as well.

"Did you enjoy your night with Isabelle then?" I smiled at Simon as we walked towards the school. He instantly blushed.

"She's really interesting." I shot him a look. "And really hot." He started laughing nervously. "Will you tell me if she talks about me in form room?" I pulled my face as though I was thinking about it.

"Hmm, nope. That's something you're going to have to figure out yourself, Si! See you third period!" I flashed him a grin as I ran down to my own form room. Isabelle was already there. She seemed to be perched on the edge of her seat.

"Clary!" She practically yelled as I squeezed in next to her. "I've been so worried, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got quite ill out of nowhere."

"Even Jace seemed worried, which is strange." Isabelle furrowed her eyebrows.

"Probably because Jon was." I shrugged, her brow was still furrowed. I was getting confused myself now.

"It's unlike Jace to-"Isabelle started but she was hushed by the teacher who had just entered the room. Somehow I didn't think this conversation was over just yet.

Sure to form Isabelle pulled me to one side on the break after second period.

"So about this Jace thing…" She trailed off.

"What about him?" I asked, putting my books in my locker. I really didn't understand what the big deal was.

"Does he like pay you special attention or?" Isabelle asked, resting against the lockers.

"No, he just kind of treats me like Jon does, but with like more winding up?" I shrugged. She tapped her finger against her chin. "Anyway, I think it should be me asking about you and Simon!" Isabelle shushed me immediately, a cherry tint taking over her cheeks. "I'm guessing my taking ill couldn't have come at a better time?" I smirked at her.

"It's really weird because I always sort of liked him from afar and I thought that once we sort of got to know each other, that it would just die down. It's usually the case. But he's just so fun. I really didn't expect it!" Her voice was getting higher and higher as she spoke, I had to stifle a laugh.

"It's so strange hearing someone talk about Simon like this. I still remember him as a chubby five year old who used to eat his crayons." The rest of the break consisted of Isabelle probing me for silly stories of Simon, which I was more than happy to divulge.

It was bizarre when I got home that night after Java Jones. Jon was there without his shadow.

"It's strange seeing you by yourself." I smiled, putting my bag down on the kitchen table.

"I know it's hard to believe but I can actually manage by myself without Jace."

"You're right. That is hard to believe." I smiled.

"Did he apologise yesterday?" He asked, as he investigated the fridge.

"Yeah he did, thanks."

"Good. He said he had, but I had to make sure. Anyway, I've decided what we're doing on Saturday, if you're interested."

"Go on then, thrill me." I'd completely forgotten I'd agreed to going out Saturday.

"Ice skating." Jon smiled.

"You're kidding right? You do realise I have terrible coordination. I'll probably end up killing myself or someone else." Jon just laughed at me, but I was genuinely concerned about this.

"You never know until you try Clary. You never know, you might discover you have a secret talent." I seriously doubted it. I couldn't even ride a bike, let alone ice skate.

"I'm sure either way, it should be entertaining for you." Jon nodded in agreement. I stuck my tongue out at him before heading upstairs. I lay down on my bed, pulling out my phone. No weird texts or calls today that was a plus, right? I decided to invite Simon along on Saturday.

 **Clary: Ice skating Saturday – you game?  
Simon: Sounds like a plan. You ice skating though, is that a good idea?  
Clary: I'm just going to ignore that dig there! Why don't you invite Isabelle? ;)  
Simon: Why don't YOU invite Isabelle and I can just turn up like surprise! And make her day.  
Clary: I think she'll prefer it if you invited her. Do it. Dare you.  
Simon: Don't you dare me!  
Clary: Double dare you.  
Simon: Damn you woman. I'll do it! **

I clicked on Jace's phone number, looking at it momentarily. I might as well send him a message to let him know my number.

 **Clary: Hi Jace. Clary here. Just sending you my number.**

It was strange not hearing from Jace almost immediately but then I remembered not everyone was like Simon and kept their phone glued to their hands. I'd managed to do an extremely detailed picture of the tree outside my window in the time it took Jace to reply. I found myself picking up my phone instantly, pulling the message up.

 **Jace: Cheers Red. See you Saturday ;)**

I laughed, putting my phone back down on the bedside table. It was safe to say I was dreading Saturday.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up early on Saturday and immediately picked my phone up. Lounging in bed, I scrolled through my messages still waking up a bit. My heart sank when I accidentally opened something I shouldn't have.

 **UNKNOWN CALLER ID: Please Clary, I need you.**

I instantly deleted the message and blocked the number, suddenly wide awake. I didn't want to remember the last time I'd heard those words. It was too much. Thankfully I also had a message from Simon, the perfect thing to lift my mood.

 **Simon: I asked her.  
Clary: I know, she told me.  
Simon: What else did she tell you?  
Clary: I'm sorry, that is confidential information.  
Simon: What like the crayon story was confidential? Yes, I know about that! **

Simon's messages had achieved their purpose. Feeling a bit more relaxed, I headed into the shower. Time hadn't moved on much when I climbed out. I curled my hair to pass the time. It was only when I was done that I remembered we were going ice skating and I was going to be wearing a hat. I put on a pair of high waist skinny jeans, a white cut off shirt and a jacket. I quickly glanced at myself in the mirror. I always loved these jeans, they did wonders for someone my height – making my legs look a lot longer than they actually were. Let Jace try and make a short joke today! I jammed my hat on my head, at least the parts of my hair you could see looked nice?

"Clary, are you ready yet?" Jon shouted up the stairs. I grabbed my phone, shoving it into my pocket.

"Coming!" I shouted out of the door, before tripping through it. Coordination on point as always. Maybe ice skating wasn't such a good idea. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, Jon was waiting in the living room doorway, on his phone. He looked up at me, a confused look on his face.

"No flannel?" He asked. I gave him a sharp look. "Sorry, sorry!" Jon laughed as I put my shoes on. Jon opened the door for me, as we headed outside to the car. It was weird riding up front. The rink was quite a while away, it took about 30 minutes to get there. We seemed to be the last ones to arrive. Jace, Isabelle, Simon and person I'd never seen before were stood outside.

"Who's that?" I asked Jon, as he turned off the engine. Jon peered over the dashboard.

"Oh, that's Alec. Isabelle and Jace's brother." Jon said, opening his door. I opened my own, as we approached the group. Isabelle was the first to approach me.

"Clary!" She smiled, hugging me lightly before holding me at arms-length. "I love your jeans! Where did you get them?" Isabelle launched into a conversation as we walked into the rink.

It took me a while to get the right sized ice skates I needed. On cue as always, Jace was there with a joke.

"Those skates are tiny." He commented, as I pulled them on my feet. I didn't dare tell him that they still felt a little loose. I just tightened them as much as I could.

"Those skates are huge." I remarked back about his.

"Well, you know what they say about big skates." He smirked and I shook my head, fastening up my other one. "Do you need a hand up by the way?" He asked, already on his feet. I shook my head, I was going to do this myself, and I wasn't giving him the satisfaction. He shrugged, walking off with Alec and Jon towards the ice. Simon was helping Isabelle get her skates on so I decided to just go for it. I managed to make my way over to the ice. It came as a surprise that the ice rink was relatively empty. Maybe it was better that way – less people for me to potentially maim. It was no surprise however to see Jace, Jon and Alec flying across the ice as though they'd been doing this all their lives. For all I knew, they had been. I held onto the rail, not wanting to get onto the ice just yet. Once I plucked up the courage, I let myself step down, holding firmly onto the rail. This felt so bizarre. I walked around the rink, never letting go of the rail. I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone approached me, sending shavings of ice flying my way.

"It doesn't count as skating if you just hold onto the rail you know?" Jace's voice rang out behind me. I didn't dare turn around to look at him, not trusting myself to stay on my feet.

"I'm wearing ice skates, I'm on ice. So yes I am skating!" I grumbled, pulling myself a little further along the rail.

"Not properly. Here let me help you."

"No, you'll do something." I muttered, trying to escape him, but he was easily keeping pace with me.

"Like what?" He laughed, skating around so he was in front of me, moving backwards as I was moving forward. God, he could skate better backwards than I could forward. Sickening.

"Leave me in the middle of the rink or something." He burst out laughing.

"I hadn't thought about that actually, but now…" He trailed off smirking. "I'm kidding! Honestly, give me your hand." I shook my head, pulling myself across the ice.

"See look, I'm doing it. I'm alright." I tried to sound convincing. Jace was at the rail, trying to pry my hand off the bar.

"Come on, I won't let you fall, promise."

"You're a liar."

"I won't! Come on. You can't hang on a rail all day."

"I can and I will." Jace sighed.

"Fine, I'll leave you be – for now! If you're still here in a little bit, I'll come back for you. That's a promise." Jace smirked as he skated off towards Jon and Alec, going at what can only be described as a speed that gave me motion sickness just looking at it.

I'd been pulling myself around the rail for a good five minutes when Isabelle and Simon hit the ice. They were like naturals. All of Simon's awkwardness melted away as soon as he hit the ice, the pair of them gliding around in sync laughing and joking. Jace must have been watching me because as soon as I was starting to feel jealous, he appeared at my side.

"Come on." He held out his hand, but I linked him instead – surely I'd be less likely to fall if I held onto his arm?

"If you go fast, I'll kill you." I muttered as he pulled me away from the safety of my rail. He seemed to slow his pace right down, helping me across the ice. I kept talking under my breath as he skated alongside me.

"Do you always mutter to yourself when you're nervous?" He asked, amused.

"No. Just when I'm scared for my life."

"Do you think I'd let you hurt yourself?" Jace said, edging us out of the way of Jon who was flying from side to side.

"I don't know. Maybe if you found it funny."

"I'm insulted!" Jace said shocked, clutching his chest.

"Less of the being insulted, more of the watching the ice." I said, still nervous. Isabelle gave me a funny look as she skated by with Simon, teamed with a small smile. I rolled my eyes, well aware of what she was hinting at.

"Now the next step, is to hold my hand rather than my arm." Jace said, moving my hand down to his wrist. I panicked a little, having to support myself a little more now. "Don't worry, I've still got you." He reassured me, skating next to the rail so that I could grab a hold of it at any time. "See you're doing fine, you're just thinking about it too much." _Story of my life._ "You know what the next step is, don't you?" Jace teased.

"Nope. Don't want to." I muttered, grabbing a firm grip of Jace's hand and refusing to let go.

"Try it." He said, trying to free his hand.

"No. Take me to my rail." I said, as Jace seemed to be drifting further away from it.

"If you let go of my hand for five seconds, you can go back to the rail. I'll be right behind you." I looked at him pleadingly but he wasn't having it. Sighing to myself, I let go of his hand, letting the momentum carry me on a little bit. It was rather terrifying.

"Jace. Jace!" I cried, as I went across the ice.

"I'm right here, you're doing fine." He laughed behind me.

"I'm not! I'm going to fall! Please!" I shouted. Jace was just laughing at me.

"You're not going to fall." The rail was fast approaching and I didn't care if I slammed into it, just as long as I reached it. A pair of dark eyes caught mine as I was reaching the rail, and I lost the plot. I knew it wasn't him. It couldn't be him. But it didn't stop my heart from racing. As soon as my heart started, my arms started to flail, my legs slipping away from me. And like I had predicted, I was falling. I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact, but it never came. When I opened my eyes, Jace's golden ones were staring into mine.

"I told you." I said, as Jace helped me to the rail.

"You were doing well, what happened?" He asked.

"It's nothing honestly." I said, peering over the rail.

"Every time you tell a lie an angel dies." Jace whispered threateningly. I pouted.

"I thought I'd saw _him._ " I whispered back, aware that we were in public.

"Where?" Jace looked into the crowd immediately.

"It wasn't him. There's no way he could be here. I just need to chill." I took a deep breath. "I'm going to go and get a coffee. Go see Jon, he's probably missing you." I smiled, tracing the rail to reach the exit.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, it's alright. Go rescue Alec from Jon." That seemed to be enough as Jace skated off towards the corner where Jon and Alec were making circles on the ice. I climbed up onto the step, feeling a lot better walking on solid ground. The coffee shop was nothing like Java Jones, but it was lovely in its own right. It was completely empty, apart from the staff. I ordered quickly, sitting myself at a stool next to the window, looking onto the ice rink. I would be a liar if I said I wasn't looking out for Sebastian. I didn't want to see him, but I needed clarification that he wasn't there.

Simon and Isabelle caught my eye first. They were skating, arm in arm. I could tell from looking at them that Simon was in the middle of one of his geek rants. Surprisingly Isabelle looked to be hanging on his every word.

Alec, Jon and Jace were having some sort of competition on the far right of the ice rink. Trying to launch themselves into the air by the looks of it. Once everyone was accounted for, I started my search. I found the person I'd seen right away. It wasn't Sebastian, it didn't even look like him from afar – it must have just been the eyes. I shuddered at the thought. As though he knew I was thinking about him, my phone vibrated. I was about to delete it, when I accidentally opened it. The message looked quite long and curiosity got the best of me.

 **UNKNOWN CALLER ID: Clary. Please. I want to make this better, I need to make this better. I know you've moved back to New York. I'm currently attending the Art Institute of New York. Please come and see me, so that I can make this up to you. I'm so sorry and I need you to know that. Please Clary, at least give me the chance to make it up to you. Please.**

So he was in New York. I immediately looked back to the ice just to make sure that it wasn't him. It wasn't but I felt like I was just prolonging the agony. Should I go and see him and get it over with? Or would that just make him worse? I was so torn. I couldn't go to my mum like I usually would, god knows how she'd react.

I only had one option.

I had to ask Jace.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing! The feedback I have received for this story has been absolutely amazing & I can't thank you all enough. All my love, until the next time. ~Sapph**


	7. Chapter 7

Unsure of whether he would even check his phone, I sent him a message.

 **Clary: I need to ask you a favour. Privately if possible.**

I received about 3 texts from Sebastian, all of which I ignored, before I got a text back from Jace.

 **Jace: I'll ask Iz and Simon if they mind going home with Jon. Alec is staying at the rink to meet Magnus.**

I bit my lip nervously. I'd only meant for him to come and quickly have a word with me in the café, not to spend the entire drive home just the two of us. No wonder Isabelle thought something was going on.

 **Clary: Okay, I'm just in the café.**

I turned away from the ice, not wanting to witness Jace rearranging the cars. He replied within minutes.

 **Jace: It's arranged. You owe me one. I'll come up when we're done. Unless you fancy skating again?  
Clary: Funny. See you in a bit. **

Jace came up to the café a lot sooner than I expected. I looked onto the ice to see everyone was still there.

"You didn't have to come straight up you know, I don't mind waiting." I said. He just shook his head.

"It's alright, I was getting pretty bored of kicking their arses anyway." He smirked. "You coming then?" I grabbed my phone from the table, following him from the café. "Do you need me to hold your hand going down the stairs or can you manage?" He smiled, as we descended to the ground floor.

"Somehow I think I'll be alright." I mocked, just as the words had escaped my mouth, I tripped on the bottom step but managed to regain my footing. Jace couldn't help himself, bursting into laughter.

"You really are a marvel, Clary."

"Shut it. Where's the car?" It was raining outside and Jace had parked in what could only be described as the furthest space from the rink. Pulling my hat down as much as I could, I followed Jace to the car, running across the car park. I was out of breath once I got inside. Pulling my soaked hat from my head, I placed it in my lap. I turned to look at Jace who hadn't put the keys in yet, he was sitting stifling a laugh.

"What? What are you laughing at now?" I asked, chucking my wet hat at him. He caught it easily, his laugh finally escaping. He gestured to my top and I looked down confused. The rain had drenched my shirt, making it sheer, my bra completely visible underneath. I gasped, pulling my jacket off before putting it on backwards. "I hate you." I grumbled, shooting him a glance.

"No you don't, otherwise you wouldn't have asked for my help. Speaking of which?" He put the keys in the car, but didn't start it up. Now that I was here, nerves got the best of me and I really didn't want to talk about it.

"Who's Magnus?" I asked, recalling an earlier conversation. Jace shook his head.

"Alec's boyfriend. Is this about Sebastian?" It felt weird hearing Jace say his name. I nodded my head.

"You drive. I'll talk." I said. Immediately Jace started up the engine, buckling himself in before glancing to see if I had. I didn't start talking until we were out of the car park.

"He messaged me today and I read it, by accident." I started.

"Didn't you block his number?"

"Yes, but he always just messages from a new number. I don't know how."

"Did you reply?"

"No, but I read them which is bad enough. One of them in particular is bugging me."

"What did it say?"

I found it easier to just read the message aloud to Jace. It took him a while to respond. He seemed to be taking it in.

"So, he's in New York?"

"Apparently, at the Art Institute."

"He's older than you then?" Jace asked, as if surprised.

"Yes."

"So what did you need advice with?" Jace got to the point. I suddenly felt sick again.

"It's difficult to word." Jace waited patiently. "I don't know whether to go and see him or not." Jace scoffed immediately. "Hear me out! I'm thinking that if I went to see him, he might leave me alone. If I can just explain to him that I don't want to see him or hear from him anymore. Maybe he just needs closure?" Jace was shaking his head, his hands tightly grasping the steering wheel.

"Are you kidding Clary? Seriously, is this a joke?" Jace shot me a look, a serious look.

"It might help."

"No Clary. It won't help. If you go back, he'll find a way to get you to give him another chance. The fact that he even has you considering meeting up with him, is proof enough of that. If he's a volatile as you told me he is, then nothing good can come of it. Do you want to die, Clary?"

"What, Jace? No." I bumbled confused.

"That's the end game Clary of being with a person like that."

"Jace, I was going to meet him in a public place. Just to tell him to leave me alone, that was all."

"Until he charms you into another drink, or going for a walk or seeing him again. It's a slippery slope Clary and not one people get off to often."

"I can't keep going through the texts and the calls, something has got to give."

"So you're just wanting to throw yourself in at the deep end and put your life in danger for good measure, Sounds like a sound plan." Jace's knuckles were white on the steering wheel, I couldn't help but notice we were going slightly faster.

"It's alright, it doesn't matter." I said, pulling my hands up into the jacket sleeves. He wasn't dropping the subject as easily as I first anticipated.

"It does matter Clary. Of course it matters." Jace growled, turning into a side street. He parked the car up at first opportunity, unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face me. "Going to see this Sebastian is an important decision Clary. It's not something you can just decide on a whim, it's not something you can decide on the fly." I nodded, listening. "The most important question you have to answer is, does he scare you? Enough so, that you're scared for your life?" The tears came fast and heavy, until I was sobbing in the car without a care. Call it genuine fear or embarrassment, I wasn't sure anymore.

"Shh, come here." Jace muttered, pulling my head towards his chest. I buried my face into his shirt, as he rubbed my back reassuringly. His hand grazed ever so slightly across the bare skin of my back and I flinched away immediately, pulling back. Jace looked confused. "What's the matter? What did I do?" I shook my head, rubbing my eyes on my jacket.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Jace asked.

"Not yet." I whispered. I couldn't have my parents seeing me like this.

"I'm sorry if I came on too strong. My only intention was to help."

"I know. It's just hard." Part of me in my head was still saying that I should meet Sebastian, just to get everything out in the air. "I still don't know what I should do." Jace looked frustrated but tried his best to neutralise his face. His hands sought out mine, holding them tightly.

"If I tell you something you must promise that it goes no further than between us. It seems only fair since you told me about Sebastian, okay?"

"Okay." I mumbled, my hands feeling strange in his.

"I'm sure you're already aware that I'm adopted. My surname is completely different to that of the family that adopted me, it's a dead giveaway. What not many people know are the circumstances surrounding my adoption. It's public record that my mother is dead, anyone could find that out. My mother had a relationship with a man, very similar to that of your relationship with this Sebastian. He killed her Clary. She died frightened and-"Jace had to take a moment to regain himself, his grip of my hands tightening briefly. "She died in pain Clary. She was on a life support machine for 3 weeks before she went. I don't want you to end up like my mother Clary. Nobody deserves to have to live or die like that. Nobody." I reached forward, pulling Jace into a cuddle. It was a hard story to have to listen to and probably a harder one to tell but what he said was right. I couldn't go back. I just couldn't.

"I won't meet him." I said into Jace's shoulder.

"You promise?" He asked, his hands on my shoulder, pushing me away from him so that he could see my face.

"I promise." I said earnestly. I pulled out my phone, blocking the newest of the numbers on my phone. "See, done?" I showed him my phone and he smiled, before pulling out his own.

"I'm just texting Jon to let him know we got caught up in traffic, he'll wonder what's happened if he gets home before we do." Jace said, tapping away. I put my own phone back in my pocket, removing my jacket, my t-shirt having finally dried out. "You should dress like that more often Clary, it suits you." Jace commented as he was starting up the car. I looked to see if he was trying to wind me up again but his eyes were firmly focussed on the road. "Seatbelt on please, your brother would never forgive me if I accidentally sent you flying through the windshield." I obliged, crossing my legs.

"Thanks for helping me out Jace. You didn't have too, we've only known each other about a week." I commented, watching other cars fly past.

"It's alright Clary, I feel like I've known you much longer. You forget that I've been best friends with your brother for countless years, he did talk about you sometimes you know." There was a smile playing on his lips.

"What did he say?" I groaned. Jace maintained his silence, smiling still. "Tell me!"

"I think I've told you enough for one day." He laughed as I pouted.

"Not fair."

As we were driving, I spotted a milkshake bar. My stomach rumbled in response.

"Hungry?" Jace asked, I nodded.

"Starved." Jace sighed, pulling into the car park.

"This is only because you've had a rough day though!"

"Yeah, yeah. You're just a big softie really aren't you?" I smirked, clambering out of the car. Jace imitated being sick.

"You go ahead and order. I'll have a chocolate milkshake. I need to ring your brother to tell him what's going on. I doubt I'll get signal inside." Jace beckoned me on. I shrugged, walking into the diner and picking a table in the corner.

 **Jace's POV**

I watched her walk in and take a seat before walking back over to where the car was. Standing behind it, I opened my phone, pulling up the number that I'd taken down from Clary's. I didn't like lying to her but this was for her own good. Calling the dial button, I waited for a response.

Just as I was about to lose hope, the dial tone stopped, a voice coming through.

"Clary?!" _Was this how this dickhead answered every phonecall?_

"Guess again." I bit back.

"Uh – Sorry who is this?"

"That's irrelevant. Stay away from Clary." I threatened.

"Ahh you're the one I spoke to on Clary's phone the other day! Who the hell are you?"

"I've already said that's irrelevant. Do you not understand how ears work? Just like you don't understand that you shouldn't hit women."

"Right! Who the fuck are you?!" I laughed at him down the phone.

"Someone you don't want to meet, believe me."

"Oh yeah, what you gonna do mate?"

"Don't call me mate. I'd never associate myself with a scumbag like you. If I find out that you've come anywhere near Clary, I'll break off each of your fingers individually and forcefeed them to you."

"And I'm the violent one?"

"There's a big difference – I don't beat on innocent women who I supposedly love. Then again, are domestic abusers really capable of love? You'll have to let me know." I could hear him losing his temper on the other end of the phone, something being hurtled across the room by the sounds of things.

"Watch your fucking back." He growled before hanging up. I shook my head laughing. Part of me had expected him to back off at the thought of being confronted. I hadn't quite achieved my goal but I would stay true to my word. If he came near Clary, he'd live to regret it.

 **Thank you again for all the positive reviews! I am really enjoying this story at the moment and I hope you all are too! All my love, until the next time. ~Sapph**


	8. Chapter 8

I'd already ordered food by the time Jace came back into the milkshake bar. His face seemed tense, his jaw clenched. He squeezed into the seats opposite me, resting his hands on the table. He was tapping his fingers again, in rhythms as though counting.

"Everything okay?" I asked, resting on my elbows. It was as though he'd just realised I was there, he stopped tapping, eyes flicking up to look at me.

"Yeah, fine." Jace said. "Just realised I've got some work due for Monday that I'd forgotten about." I furrowed my brow. Somehow I didn't really believe Jace. Something was bugging him, it was just a matter of what. "What's with the face?" Jace commented. Thankfully the woman with our order turned up before I had a chance to answer.

"2 chocolate milkshakes, chocolate fudge cake and a raspberry cheesecake." She smiled, placing the items on the table as she listed them off. "Anything else I can get you two?" Jace shook his head and she went back to the kitchen.

"Cake?" Jace asked.

"I did say I was hungry. Pick whichever one you want, I'd be happy to eat either." I offered. Jace didn't take long to deliberate, pulling the chocolate cake in his direction. I dived straight into the cheesecake. Two bites in, I realised that Jace hadn't even touched his. "You're making me feel like a pig here." I smiled, looking at his cake. He sighed, picking up a fork, shoving a large amount of chocolate cake into his mouth.

"Happy?" He grumbled through the cake. I nodded, playing around with my own plate.

"So, I know it's a difficult subject but how did you meet Sebastian. School?" Jace asked, I was taken aback. This again? "I promise none of this will go any further than between us." Jace reassured me. I suppose it was helping to get it off my chest. What harm could telling him the miscellaneous information do? He knew the most of the important things anyway.

"Yeah, he went to art school too. He was a few years older than me though. We met on a project." I said, taking a drink.

"A project?"

"Well yeah. You would get set a group project and you would have a mentor from a higher year. Sebastian mentored me on one of my projects."

"What does he look like?" Jace asked and I looked at him confused.

"Why?" I asked, filling my mouth with cake.

"Just curious." Jace shrugged. "I'm picturing him in my head looking a bit like Simon." I shook my head.

"Not at all." I found myself laughing. "He was tall, sort of about Jon's height. His features were quite dark but he sort of gave off a vibe of trust. He was easily likeable, he came across as someone you could really rely on to be a nice guy. Which is weird looking back now." I frowned. It was true though.

**FLASHBACK**

 _I felt like I was going to be sick. The idea of being paired up with an older student was extremely daunting, I knew the whole purpose was for us to extend ourselves and learn from them but I couldn't help but feel inferior. Last year when I'd done this, my mentor had pretty much denounced my work and decided to run with their idea instead. I'd spent the 3 months like a glorified PA. Looking at my schedule, I sought out the gallery room which would host our finished piece and where I was to meet my mentor for this project. They were late. Always a good sign. Finally the door opened, a tall, slender guy walking in. Surely he'd gotten the wrong room? I'd never been paired with a male mentor before. His hair was dark, swept back from his face. His eyes were equally dark, but strangely warm. He smiled as soon as he crossed the threshold, placing his folder down at the door. He crossed the room in three strides, holding his hand out enthusiastically._

" _Hey, I'm Sebastian – are you Clarissa?" He asked, shaking my hand. I blushed lightly._

" _Hi Sebastian, it's just Clary."_

" _Oh sorry, Clary it is." He smiled, indicating for me to sit down. He sat down next to me, pulling forward some of the paper that was strewn on the table. "So, what do you want to get from this project?" He asked, his eyes staring into mine, making my stomach churn all over again._

" _I get to choose?" I asked, surprised._

" _Of course." He laughed, brushing his hair back. "I'm simply here to lend a hand and maybe teach you something new. It's up to you what we create, it's up to me to help you do it." He smiled, handing me the paper. Now that I had the opportunity, my brain had went blank. I hadn't expected this. I laughed nervously and he smiled reassuringly. "That being said, I can still help you with the creative process." He smiled, pulling part of the paper towards himself, starting to brainstorm. Before I knew it, we were sharing the same piece of paper, brainstorming together. The paper was full to the brim with scribbles, doodles and sketches. Sebastian took a moment to sit back, reading the various ideas in front of him._

" _You're really creative Clary. We could do any one of these ideas and it would turn out great." I smiled, my cheeks flushing. Sebastian suddenly looked anxious. "This is going to sound really strange but just hear me out, okay?" He quickly retrieved his folder from the other side of the room, fishing through it for his sketchpad._

" _Okay." I shrugged, as he returned to his seat._

" _I feel like I should tell you the context before I outright ask you. I'm a portrait artist, it's my specialty." He rambled as he flipped through his sketchpad, showing me various sketches he had done. It didn't lack variety nor talent. He had sketched old people, young people, men, women, children – all in fantastic detail, their eyes almost standing out from the pages they were drawn on. "I would really like to sketch you, only if you want too that is." He smiled, nervously._

" _Of course. That's fine." I smiled, flattered. It wasn't the first time I had been asked and I didn't think it would be the last, it was a common request at art school. Sebastian started gathering his pencils together, opening his sketchpad to a fresh page, I laughed. His eyes shot up._

" _You don't have anywhere to be, do you? I thought I'd just do it now, while you're working on the project." I shook my head, smiling._

" _It's fine." I started working on the project some more. For some reason this was different to any portrait I'd done before. Whenever I looked up and caught Sebastian's eye, I felt myself blushing, my stomach fluttering, a smile emerging. Not only was he insanely talented, he was crazy quick, the picture taking form almost instantaneously. Just as I was expanding an idea on sculptures, Sebastian started to frown, holding the sketchbook away from himself. I only raised my eyes when he seemed to be getting frustrated._

" _Is everything alright?" I asked. Sebastian looked at me, rolling his pencil between his fingers, looking at me dead on before tilting his head slightly. He was silent, clearly still in the creative zone. He hopped to his feet, looking right at me, before he clicked his fingers. His hand reached for my hair tie._

" _Do you mind?" He asked, I shook my head. His hand pulled the tie gently, my hair falling down to frame my face. He came back around the front, moving strands of my hair lightly before taking his seat once more. Butterflies exploded into my stomach, ideas for the project suddenly the last thing on my mind. Sebastian was hard at work, finishing his sketch and I was trapped inside my head, trapped inside my thoughts._

" _Do you want to take a look?" Sebastian said a little while later, dusting off his book. I was suddenly anxious but I couldn't possibly say no. He handed me the sketchpad, and I nervously looked down. I was blown away._

" _You've made me look – beautiful." I laughed, amazed by the image. It looked like me but it was so much more than me at the same time. Sebastian smiled, leaning forward casually in his seat._

" _That's because you are beautiful Clary. I only drew you as I see you before me. Nothing more." His smile was charming, his eyes inviting. I was speechless. I wasn't sure how to react. "If you really like it, you can have it." He offered._

" _I love it, but you can keep it." I smiled, handing him the book back. Our hands touched in the exchange, a spark of electricity shooting through me. Suddenly I was nervous, I started packing up my stuff. "I've really got to go though, my mum will be expecting me." In my haste to escape my feelings, my feet got tangled in my chair, propelling me forward towards Sebastian. He managed to stop me from falling, helping me to stand back up._

" _Until tomorrow." He smiled, still holding me up. My heart was thumping through my chest, my words failing me. He let me go and I stepped back, smiling._

" _I'll see you later." I walked from the room but as soon as I was out of the door, I ran down the corridor._

"Clary?" Jace's hand was on my upper arm, shaking me gently. I looked back at him, raising my eyebrows. "You spaced out. Did they slip something in your cheesecake?" He asked, running his finger along it before popping it in his mouth. "Tastes fine to me." I laughed.

"I was just thinking." I smiled, rubbing my arms. It was strange to remember Sebastian that way. It wasn't good for me to remember Sebastian in that way, the Sebastian I had fallen in love with. "Do you want the rest of this?" I offered Jace my cheesecake, my appetite having disappeared. He shook his head.

"We should probably get back, Isabelle will probably be thinking I've kidnapped you." He laughed, pulling out his wallet.

"I can get this." I offered, reaching into my jeans. He shook his head.

"Don't worry about it." He smiled, heading to the bar. Once he'd paid, he came back to the table. "Ready?" I followed him out and to the car. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out without a second thought.

 **Jon: How is it we set off after you, made a pit stop and still got back before you? I know I'm a pretty good driver, but I'm not that good. Something I need to know about? x**

I pulled my face at the text in confusion.

"Jace?" I asked, as we climbed in. "I thought you'd called Jon to tell him we'd be back a bit later?"

"Oh, did I not mention? I tried to call him but couldn't get through so I had to text him instead. Maybe the signal is bad, he might just get it later tonight." Jace said, setting the car up. I nodded before penning a reply.

 **Clary: Jace was meant to text you. Stopped off to get some food because I was starved. Nothing suspicious, promise (: x**

 **Jon: Are you on your way back now? Isabelle and Simon said they'd wait if so. x**

 **Clary: Yup, see you soon x**

"Isabelle and Simon are waiting for us at my place." I commented to Jace.

"Isabelle will be waiting to interrogate you, no doubt."

"I'll just tell her the truth. Well not the whole truth, but the bit about stopping off for milkshake. Not the bit about Sebastian."

"How are you feeling about that anyway? Still fighting the urge to go and see him?"

"Now who's interrogating…" I muttered but Jace shot me a serious look. "No, there is no urge. I'm not going to go and see him. It's as simple as that." I shrugged and Jace seemed appeased. It was starting to get dark when we eventually reached home. My mum's car wasn't on the drive so I assumed her and dad were out. Isabelle almost jumped on top of me when I walked through the door.

"I thought you guys had gotten lost! Or worse…" She glared at Jace as he walked past, he laughed at her, joining Jon in the kitchen.

"I'm fine honestly, I just needed to eat." I smiled, walking into the living room with her.

"Simon and I had one of the coolest experiences ever, didn't we Si?" Isabelle chittered, sitting herself down on the sofa next to Simon.

"Clary you would have loved it. Jon had to run an errand for your mum so Isabelle and I had a look around while we were waiting for him. There was this guy on the bridge selling portraits. We had twenty minutes to kill so we got one. Show her Isabelle, she'll love it." My heart was already beating out of my chest at the mention of the picture. My fears were confirmed when I saw it. It was irrelevant that the bottom of it was signed ' ', I could tell from just looking at the picture that it was his. Simon and Isabelle looked back at me from the paper, their faces smiling, their eyes staring right through me.

"It's lovely." Was all I managed to say, before I headed towards the door. "Excuse me a second, I think I've left something in the car." As soon as I was outside, I broke into a run. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew that right now, I had to be somewhere else than here.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoy this new instalment! All my love, until the next time ~Sapph**


	9. Chapter 9

**Jace's POV**

"I didn't realise milkshake bars were your style." Jon commented as I entered the room. I shrugged.

"What can I say, I aim to please." I laughed, Jon didn't return it.

"Remember who it is you're 'pleasing' Jace. Clary's my sister at the end of the day." I laughed at him.

"Jon. We went for a milkshake because she was hungry. That's it. Hand on my heart. It's not at all like what you're thinking." Jon finally cracked a smile.

"There's no harm in asking." Jon shrugged, hopping from his seat. He clasped my shoulder as he headed into the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water. "Where is she anyway? I need to get her to sign this card mum sent me for."

"She's with Isabelle I think." I followed Jon from the room into the living room. Only Isabelle and Simon were inside.

"Where's Clary?" Jon asked as we entered the room.Isabelle looked at me confused.

"She thought she'd left something in the car but that was like five minutes ago. Is she not upstairs?"

"She didn't come and ask me for the keys. Did you hear her come back in?" I asked, Isabelle looked at Simon.

"I-I wasn't really paying attention." Simon said, smiling coyly.

"You go have a look upstairs, I'll have a look outside." Jon didn't need to say it twice. I made quick work of the stairs, peaking my head in every door upstairs. There was no sign of her. Jon was waiting in the doorway when I got back downstairs, Simon and Isabelle in the hallway. "Any sign?" He asked me. I shook my head.

"You?"

"Nah, she's not there. What happened before she left?" Jon rounded on Simon and Isabelle.

"Well, I showed her this but that was pretty much it." Isabelle indicated to the piece of paper in her hand. Jon nodded his head in understanding. _What was with the paper?_

"What is it?" I asked, Isabelle's cheeks immediately flushed before she handed me it. It was a sketch of Isabelle and Simon, I could understand why Isabelle had been nervous about showing me this. It definitely made it seem like there was something between her and that Simon kid, moreso than I had originally thought. _But why had Clary left?_ I scanned the picture over and over trying to get some information from it. It was only as I was handing it back that my eyes fell upon the signature at the bottom S. Verlac. Could that be Sebastian? Clary had said that he was in New York and that he was an artist. It all seemed to fit.

"Where did you get this from?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Just off of main-street." Isabelle said but Jon cut over her.

"That doesn't matter, we need to find Clary. If Jace and I take our cars, and you and Simon go out on foot we should be able to find her. She's not superhuman, she can't have gotten far." Jon said to Isabelle.

"Maybe she's just popped out to get something, she'll probably be back soon. I don't think it'll help sending the cavalry after her." Simon spoke up, thankfully Jon responded before I had a chance too.

"She doesn't know New York that well Simon. Especially not at night, if anything happened to her, would you be able to forgive yourself?" That was enough to sway Simon. We quickly organised where we would look before setting off in our search. Regardless of where I had been given, I knew where I was headed first – main-street.

 **Clary's POV**

I'd ran as far as my body could physically take me, sitting myself down on a park bench. I wasn't sure where I was, I'd been running blindly. The idea that Simon and Sebastian had shared the same space, probably laughed together, made me numb to my core. The threat was real now. He was here, he was close. Jace was right in everything he said. I was terrified. I didn't even know how to cope with how I felt. It was why I had ran. I didn't want to face the awkward questions from Simon and Isabelle. I didn't want to have to explain it to Jon. They couldn't know. It was bad enough that Jace knew. Every person who walked past me as I sat on the bench, heightened my anxiety. My mind was chaotic, my choices reflective of it. I hurried out of the park, completely unsure of where I was headed.

"Clary!" I was sure I heard someone shouting behind me, so although my body wasn't ready for it, I took off at a run. Running further into unknown territory. Once I thought I'd ran far enough, I turned around to see nobody there. _Had I imagined it or was someone really shouting? Was I losing my mind?_ Edging out of the alleyway I'd hidden in, I continued to walk down the street I was now on. Finally, somewhere I knew. Main-street. I walked down the street, keeping close to the shops. It was busy at this time of day. People commuting, peddlers packing up their wares for the day. I kept my head down. I'd become a prisoner in my own home city. It was like a tug of war in my mind. Every time I told myself that I was terrified, another part of my brain was telling me that I could work this all out if I saw him. That I could convince him to leave me alone. Had I subconsciously came to main-street because that's where I thought he would be selling his portraits? I was getting frustrated with myself. I didn't know what I was doing. Every time I thought I was running away from him, I seemed to be running too him. As I was heading up the street, I saw a familiar car pull in, so I turned in the opposite direction.

 **Jace's POV**

It didn't take me long at all to reach main-street. Once I had, I pulled the car over, climbing out. I sprinted across the road, heading down the street. Every peddler I saw, I gave a once over, the only thing I had to go on was the fact he had dark features. It wasn't the most specific piece of information but surely I would recognise him by his portraiture. You can imagine my surprise when I saw Clary running off up the street. She was the last person I'd expected to find here. Had she come here deliberately to find Sebastian? After she promised me that she wouldn't go anywhere near him? Did she have a death wish? I kept my pace up after her as she weaved amongst the crowd. She didn't look back once. My mind was completely torn away from finding that Sebastian kid, as I followed Clary down an alleyway.

 **Clary's POV**

I nearly dived out of my skin when I felt someone pulling me back. I didn't turn around right away, unsure of who it would even be. It was Jace. This wasn't good. The anger in his face was apparent, his cheekbones looking as though they were going to burst from his skin.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, the first words that came to me.

"What am I doing here? What – am – I?" Jace stuttered in disbelief. "Clary! What are **you** doing here?!"

"I needed to get out of the house, because of the picture." I didn't even know if he'd know what I meant but it was the only excuse I had.

"So you decided to run from the picture, a piece of paper, into a potentially very real threat?" Jace questioned, his hand running through his hair in agitation.

"I didn't kno-"I started but he was quick to cut over me.

"Don't get cute with me Clary. Be honest. Why did you promise me that you wouldn't do this?"

"I didn't mean to come here, it was an accident." It sounded so stupid, it was no wonder he looked at me in disbelief.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Jace asked, his hands holding my shoulders. I was panicking. My chest was tight and getting tighter. This situation was oh too familiar. Sebastian never believed anything I said. Questioned my every action three times over. Mustering all of the energy I could manage, I pushed Jace off.

"You're acting just like him." I shouted, the tears pouring down my cheeks. I skirted under his arm, out of the alley and ran as fast as I could towards the park. It didn't take him long to catch up to me, he was a football player after all. I threw myself down on a park bench, looking at my knees.

"Clary, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get angry with you. I just don't want you getting hurt, can you understand that? I'd never be able to forgive myself if he hurt you." Jace sat himself down next to me. For the second time today, I let myself cry. "Don't cry Clary, please." Jace reached out, rubbing the top of my back.

"I can't live like this." I muttered. Jace pulled me towards him, draping his arms around me.

"How long does a portrait take?" Jace asked five minutes later and I furrowed my brow, pulling back from him.

"It's subjective. Twenty minutes at least." I shrugged, wiping my eyes.

"I'm going to propose something because as you've said, you can't live like this. Tomorrow, we will come to main-street and see if we can see Sebastian. Don't text him, don't call him, and don't tell him that you're coming because then he'll wonder how you know he's doing it. The less he knows about your life here the better. I will wait in the car. If you need me, text me and I'll come right over. Let him draw your picture, and that's how much time he has to talk with you."

"You'll be in the car? Right there?"

"Yes. I'll be in the car, a text away."

"Are you sure?"

"I think you need to answer that question Clary. If you feel comfortable doing it, then I feel obligated to help you. You know my feelings on the matter, but if seeing the guy is going to stop you from living your life in fear then I can't really see any other option." I wrapped my arms around him tightly, my head on his shoulder.

"How can I thank you?" I asked, clinging on tightly.

"You don't need to thank me Clary, just don't do anything like this again. Sebastian isn't the only danger in New York on a night time. You don't know who's about on a night time." Jace held me just as tight, patting my back. "I should probably text your brother and let him know I've found you alright. You're going to need a pretty good excuse, I don't have to tell you what Jon's like." Jace pulled out his phone, pulling up Jon's number and quickly messaging him.

"I don't know what to tell him." I shrugged as we walked back to the car. Jace gave me a reassuring squeeze.

"I'll think of something okay. You just get yourself prepared for tomorrow. I don't think it's going to be easy." He was right, it wasn't going to be easy. But it would be a lot easier knowing that Jace would be a text message away.

"What are you going to say to Jon?" Jace opened the car door for me, before letting himself in on the other side.

"I'll tell him that you've been thinking about your break up. I won't mention anything specific. I'll just embellish on what he already knows."

"That sounds fair enough, thank you Jace."

"Don't worry about it, Red." He squeezed my shoulder from his seat, before focussing on the road. Jon wasn't home when we got back. Jace sent me straight up to bed, telling me that I needed my rest. Climbing into bed, I closed my eyes and sleep came quickly.

 **Jace's POV**

Jon and the others arrived back, ten minutes after we did.

"Where is she?" Jon burst through the door, his worry written on his face.

"She's upstairs, asleep." I said, gesturing for Jon to follow me into the kitchen.

"Simon's going to walk me home Jace. I'll see you at home." Isabelle said, looking at Simon. He looked hesitant to leave but he followed after her.

"What's wrong with her? I'm assuming you know." Jon asked.

"It's what she told you the other day, about the whole break up. She's not dealing with it properly." Jon seemed to be relieved.

"At least it's something manageable." _I tried to keep my face straight, manageable wasn't the first word that came to my head when I thought about it._

"She just needs support, I think."

"Thanks Jace. For helping her out. Here I was thinking I was the King of advice."

"What is it they say – the student surpasses the master?"

"Don't push it." Jon smirked, finally relaxing. "Are you staying tonight?"

"Nah, I'm going to go home tonight. They'll be forgetting what my face looks like. I'll catch you at some point tomorrow though."

 **Clary's POV**

 _I sat glued to the spot, my arms held in front of me, bandaged up in plaster cast. I'd decided my project was going to focus around sculpture and the best way to achieve that was to use Modrock. Sebastian had helped me to bandage up my arms and hands. One arm was held out in front of me, pointing. The other was bent at the elbow, my hand at my hip. My legs were starting to go numb, so I hopped up from the chair, losing my balance slightly before pacing the room. Sebastian came back from the supply room, laughing at me as he walked through the door._

" _You look absolutely ridiculous Clary." He smiled, walking over to the whiteboard in the corner of the room, crossing off body parts on the list._

" _The things I do in the name of art." I huffed dramatically. Sebastian shook his head, tapping the plaster on my arm._

" _It's dry. Time for it to come off. Stay still." He picked up a pair of scissors, cutting up the arms to release the plaster cast. Once he'd removed them, he fixed the incisions up with more plaster, stuffing the arms with newspaper to keep the shape._

" _How much longer have we got?" I asked, not wanting to search for my phone, my hands still wet from the plaster._

" _Uh – 30 minutes. Probably enough time to do something small. What have we got left to do…?" Sebastian approached the whiteboard, tapping the pen. "A hand or neck, your choice."_

" _Neck definitely. My hands are still a bit numb off the last hour. Will you tie my hair back for me, my hair tie is on top of my bag." Sebastian came up behind me, gathering my hair before tying it up in a bun on the top of my head. I wet my neck, getting ready for the plaster to be applied._

" _Do you want me to do it for you?" He asked, grabbing a box of plaster._

" _Please. It'll probably be quicker." I craned my neck. Sebastian approached me, wetting the plaster, smoothing it before placing it on my neck. It wasn't a sensation that you got used too quickly. Sebastian smoothed the plaster down on my neck, and I was glad my head was tilted back so that my blush might have just been confused with headrush._

" _Put your head down a bit." Sebastian muttered as he put some plaster on the back of my neck. I visibly shuddered as he smoothed it down. He came back around to the front to get some more, his eyes locking with mine as he placed it on my neck. "You alright?" He asked. "I'm not doing it too tight am I?"_

" _It's fine, honestly." I smiled. He smoothed it down, his gaze still unfaltering. His hand was still smoothing down the plaster on my throat for what seemed longer than needs be. His hand moved around to the back of my neck, resting on top of the plaster, his thumb tracing up and down. I looked at him questionably but my questions were soon answered as his lips cascaded into my own. His free hand travelled up to my jaw, his lips pressed gently against my own. I could feel my skin burning, my stomach bubbling. He pulled back, surveying my reaction. I had just enough time to smile at him slightly before his lips were on mine once more. This time with more desperation, his hands on either side of my face, his lips parting mine. I kissed him back best I knew how, my hands resting on his abdomen. His lips were skilful, his hands even more so as they traced my skin as light as brushstrokes on a canvas. Was this what love felt like?_

I awoke with a start, sickness building in my stomach. I only just made it to the bathroom.

 **Thank you all as always for taking the time to read and review. The reviews I have been receiving have warmed my heart so much and I'm grateful for each and every one. All my love, until next time! ~Sapph**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for the delay in updates. My laptop charger broke and I've just gotten a new one. Please enjoy this extra-long chapter as an apology!**

Once I'd woken up, I couldn't get back to sleep. I tried to keep my heaving to a minimum picking up my sketchpad, drawing mindlessly. The page was overtaken by doodles and little sketches. When it reached a reasonable time, I picked my phone up from the dresser – scrolling through my texts.

 **Simon: Clary – we really need to talk! Hit me back ASAP**

 **Clary: I'm busy this morning, I'll let you know if I'm free later. Try not to worry.**

I had more messages from what I assumed was Sebastian but I deleted them on sight, unable to read them ahead of the plan today.

 **Jace: Still up for today?**

 **Clary: I am if you are.**

 **Jace: You know me, Red. Game for anything.**

I laughed, climbing into the shower. I found it best to keep my daily routine as normal as possible, not wanting Sebastian to think he was having any sort of effect on my life. I left my hair down, similar to how I wore it every day, I kept my make up the same and dressed similar to how I would on an average day, not wanting Sebastian to think I'd dressed up to see him. This was a typical reminder of what life was like with Sebastian. Questioning every action, debating every choice, no matter how trivial. When I was ready, I sat crossed-legged on my bed, sketchpad in hand. I was dragged from my thoughts by my phone vibrating.

 **Jace: Sooo, when am I getting you?**

 **Clary: I'm not sure. 1pm? Can you get me at the bottom of the road though?**

 **Jace: You wound me, Red. Why must you deny our love?**

I was struggling with what to reply with when another text came through.

 **Jace: I'm just kidding. 1 is it, meet you on the corner.**

It got to 12:45 and I was already pulling on my shoes.

"You running off again?" Jon was in the living room, looking at me questionably.

"No. I'm going to see Simon." I said the first thing that came to my mind. Jon nodded slowly.

"You'd tell me if something was up, wouldn't you?" I nodded. _Something's weren't worth discussing though._

"Well yeah, you know what the matter is anyway."

"That's true. Keep that in mind though Clary, catch you later." On my way through the door, I bumped into my mum whose arms were laden with groceries.

"Clary! Can you give me a hand, honey?"

"Sorry mum, I'm meeting Simon – I'll catch up later ok?" _I felt bad lying to her, but what could I do?_

"Oh alright – have fun dear." I darted off down the street and was relieved to see that Jace was already there, five minutes early. I opened the car door, exhaling as I sat down.

"I didn't realise I made you so nervous, Red." I turned to look at Jace and couldn't help but notice his attire. He was dressed in dark jeans, a lengthy white t-shirt and a fitted leather jacket – a welcome change from the sports-wear I was used to seeing him in. "Take it all in, Red." Jace was smirking at me and I shook my head.

"Shut it you. I feel sick enough as is without your dreadful sense of humour." Jace's hand flew to his heart.

"That- hurts." I laughed but as soon as I did the nerves resurfaced in my stomach. Jace must have noticed the change in me as he quickly readied the car. The closer we got to main-street, the closer my heart climbed into my throat, until I was a shaken mess. Jace stopped the car opposite main-street and placed a steady hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to do this; if you don't want too."

"I have too." I sighed, unbuckling my seatbelt. Jace seemed reluctant to let go of my shoulder.

"Do you want me to walk along with you?" I shook my head, this was something I had to do by myself. Once I had opened the car door, I readied myself for the worst.

"A text away?" I asked, holding the door.

"Just one." He smiled.

"And you can run fast?"

"The fastest." Jace winked as I closed the car door. As I crossed the road, I pulled my jacket across myself defensively. The street was relatively quiet, unsurprising for a Sunday. It was full of peddlers however, stalls set up left, right and centre. I started to question whether or not Sebastian was even here. Just as I was about to give up hope, I caught sight of a group of artists stationed near the bottom of the street and hesitantly headed in that direction. It didn't take me long after that to seek out Sebastian. He was dressed in a plain grey t-shirt and some dark green paint splattered cargo pants. His hair was longer than when I'd seen him last, but swept back the same way. He was finishing up a portrait and I stood glued to the spot, just out of sight, gathering my thoughts. After a small pep talk, I walked slowly over to the stalls, my hands jammed in my pockets. Questions were running through my mind – _how would I explain why I was there?_ In my absent-mindedness, I walked straight past Sebastian's stall, forgetting to stop.

"Clary?" A voice behind me questioned. I counted to five before turning around. "It **is** you." Sebastian was stood mere inches from me, his eyes full of wonder, and his face full of hope.

"Sebastian?" I said, mainly because I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"What are you doing here? I can't believe it. I didn't think I'd see you just walking down the street." He started to babble and I could do nothing but smile awkwardly.

"I was out for a walk." The best I could manage. People were weaving between us, and Sebastian clearly must have felt my anxiousness as he was quick to beckon me over.

"Come. Sit." He gestured to his table and I cautiously made my way to the seat, placing myself down. He pulled out a piece of paper, pencil at the ready. "Why haven't you answered my calls or texts?" He asked, sketching out parameters.

"We broke up Sebastian. You know why." I said, watching his hands rather than his face.

"So you have a new boyfriend then clearly." Sebastian muttered, sketching more heavy-handed.

"No. Just because I don't want to talk to you, doesn't mean I'm with someone else. I don't have one, nor do I want one." I made myself as clear as possible.

"So, how do you explain the call I received?"

"What call?"

"From the same guy who answered your phone a few days ago. He called me yesterday, threatening me." I had no idea what he was talking about. _Had Jace called Sebastian? How? When?_ Suddenly a thought dawned on me – the milkshake bar.

"That was my brother – nothing suspicious." I kicked myself, yet again I was explaining myself too him, lying to him because I was scared of how he would react to something trivial. I chanced a glance at Sebastian. He was staring at me dead on, his hands sketching skilfully. His gaze that once used to summon butterflies to my stomach now conducted nothing but fear. I shuffled in my seat uneasily.

"Relax Clary." He soothed causing me to grit my teeth. "I've missed you, y'know. It's really down to you thought that I got into the Art Institute. Most of the sketches I took to my interview were ones I'd made just after we'd split. So I have that to thank you for. It's almost as though the universe was trying to bring us back together," He flashed me a grin and I knew what he was trying to do. His charm was one of his most abundant skills and didn't he know it. All I could manage was a face I didn't even know how to respond. It took me a while to gain the courage to ask him what I really wanted to know.

"What do you want from me, Sebastian? Cut to the chase." I'd suddenly realised that I was in control. I could leave whenever I wanted, do what I liked. Meeting with Sebastian had made me realise he was just a person, not the terrifying creature I had created in my head. Sebastian was taken aback by my front, he dropped his pencil, running his hand through his hair, smiling.

"I want a chance, Clary. A chance to make things right between us. The way I behaved when we were together wasn't acceptable and it wasn't me. I want to make up for that." _It wasn't me – how many times had I heard that?_ I went to get up from my seat but Sebastian mimicked me. "Clary! At least let me finish the picture." He gestured to his work and I sat back down sighing. _I had told myself that I would give him the time it took to create a portrait._ "I know I hurt you Clary but I'm the only one who can rectify that."

"Sebastian – it can't be rectified. It just can't. I can't go back there."

"Then we'll start afresh."

"Sebastian…"

"Clary, please!"

"Sebastian, I can't. I need you to leave me alone." It was as though he just snapped. His jaw hardened, his eyes losing their warmth – the Sebastian I knew too well finally resurfacing.

"No." He grumbled, his eyes downcast on the portrait, hands working furiously.

"What do you mean – no? It wasn't a question."

"I'm saying no clary. I'm not ready to give up on this. I can't. Our story isn't finished."

"It is finished. I finished it."

"You finished nothing! You ran away!" His eyes were blazing. My heart was thumping in my chest, the knowledge that Jace was moments away making me braver.

"It's finished. I'm finishing it for good now – is that what you want to hear?" He shook his head.

"You don't mean that. You just need more time. You just need to see that I'm different."

"You're the same Sebastian. You have anger issues, I can't help you with that." He slammed his hand on his counter.

" **Don't** tell me I have issues Clary." I rested back in my seat re-evaluating. We were in public, he couldn't hurt me here.

"I don't think we have anymore to talk about." He looked at me, a crooked grin playing on his lips.

"I can see through you like that Clary." He clicked his fingers. "I know it wasn't your brother on the phone. He would have said when I asked. You're seeing someone and you don't want me to know." Sebastian eyed me up, watching me closely.

"Fine, you want it straight? It wasn't Jon. It was his friend. Not my boyfriend. My brother's friend, nothing more." Sebastian laughed, long and hard.

"That's what you think. He didn't talk like a friend or a brother Clary. Plus if you think I have anger issues – you should hear this one!" _What had Jace said to him?_

"Save it Sebastian. I need to go." I got to my feet and once again Sebastian did the same.

"Don't you want your picture?" He handed me the portrait and I looked it over. It was completely different to the other portrait he'd done when we first met. My hair was wild, my eyes equally so. It was no less beautiful but I couldn't put my finger on why it was so different. The bottom right was signed – "Clary, my eternal love. Yours Sebastian"

"You can have it." I handed it back but Sebastian refused.

"I have enough of my own." He pushed the paper back at me. I held it in my hands but didn't look at it.

"Are you going to leave me alone?" I asked once more – I had to find out whether coming here had been worth it.

"I can't promise that Clary." He stepped towards me, his hands touching my shoulders. Suddenly I lost my courage, consumed by fear. I froze as he leant forward, kissing my cheek. I was rooted to the spot as Sebastian was pulled backwards by his shirt. It was Jace.

 **Jace's POV**

A while had passed and I was starting to grow concerned. Against my better judgement, I drove the car up the road until I saw Clary sat at a stall. Pulling into the closest space, I watched over the dashboard. She was sat at his table and he was clearly drawing. He looked nothing like I would have expected him too. It looked like a completely normal situation, from afar you wouldn't even have guessed that they knew each other. True to form, his volatility didn't take long to show itself. He smashed the table with his hand and I unbuckled my seatbelt. It was only when Clary relaxed in her seat that I kept my own in the car. She was in control. Minutes passed and Clary was on her feet. He was quick to follow her. The picture exchanged hands, Sebastian to Clary before she tried to hand it back. As soon as he took a step towards her, I jumped out of the car – storming over without thinking about it. I didn't need to wait for a text, as soon as I saw his hands on her, I knew I'd made the right choice. His lips touched her cheek just as my hands grabbed his shirt, flinging him backwards. His face burst into a smile and I couldn't wait to knock it right off for him.

 **Clary's POV**

I couldn't believe my eyes. Sebastian was smiling at Jace knowingly, the both of them holding their ground.

"I wondered when you would show up." Sebastian laughed.

"What are you talking about?" _How had he known?_

"After that phonecall yesterday, I knew if I saw you Clary that loverboy wouldn't be far behind." I looked at Jace, his jaw was clenched, his stance firm.

"We're leaving Clary, come on." He looked at me.

"You've let your standards slip Clary. I thought you had taste – not you're hanging out with jocks, I thought you were different. What has McKenna High turned you into?" Sebastian's eyes flashed and Jace pounced. His baiting had worked. He'd not only provoked Jace he'd gotten the information he wanted. I just managed to catch Jace's arm, tugging him back.

"It's not worth it. Come on." I said to Jace, pleading with my eyes. Jace started to follow me to the car, but Sebastian wasn't done.

"We're not over Clary! See you soon baby!" He shouted, teasingly. Once Jace was safely in the car and away from Sebastian's taunts, I had a good look at him. He looked livid. He immediately turned the car on and drove away quite quickly. I managed to seatbelt myself in just as fast. _Was it safe to talk to him?_ His jaw was still clenched and he was driving the opposite way to home. I sat in silence. _Was this my fault?_ I kept the portrait folded in my lap, looking out of the window as landscapes shot past. Something was baying on my mind.

"You called him?" I asked as we were in traffic on a bridge. Jace looked at me, his face softened ever so slightly.

"One minute Clary." Was all he said as he turned off towards a park. He climbed out as soon as we pulled up, leaving me to chase after him. Once I'd caught up with him, he was perched next to a lake.

"That was a little bit more than a minute." I gasped, nursing a stitch. Jace didn't laugh, he didn't even look at me.

"Yes I called him." Jace admitted as I sat myself next to him.

"Why?" I asked, he just shrugged.

"Thought I could scare him off."

"I don't think Sebastian does scared off. He just antagonises."

"Did you tell him we were together?" Jace asked, looking up confused.

"No. You did that one yourself." He looked even more confused. "Sebastian sees everyone as a threat. If you came across as defensive on the phone, he'll have deduced it from that. Just ignore it." I explained.

"Just ignore it." Jace repeated under his breath. I had a good look at the lake, it was serene. I understood why Jace had brought us here. I was dragged from my thoughts when I felt something tugging my hand. Jace had taken the portrait and was opening it up. For some reason I felt embarrassed.

"It's a good picture – but it's not you." Jace commented, handing it back. I didn't want to look at it again. Folding it back over, I got to my feet seeking out the nearest bin. "Why don't you keep it, it's just a picture?" Jace said from where he sat. I shook my head. _I couldn't keep it, it was like letting him back in._

"I feel like an idiot." Jace said when I walked back over, the picture binned.

"Why?" I asked confused.

"I told him what school you go too." Jace admitted.

"It's not like you gave him my address." I shrugged. I really hadn't considered the repercussions of Sebastian knowing what school I went too. I made a mental note to make sure I got car rides there and back for the near future.

"I'm proud of you though." Jace said, looking out at the lake.

"What for? Not running away screaming?" He shot me a look.

"Don't play it down. What you did today was really brave Clary. You faced your fear head on and now at least you know if you ever come across him again, that you can deal with it." My mind was a whirlpool of emotions, I wanted to smile but all I could manage was tears.

"He said he's not going to leave me alone. It doesn't seem like progress." I shrugged, wiping my eyes with my jacket.

"He'll soon give up. So long as you don't give into him, then he can't do anything." _I wasn't so sure, I'd learned to never put anything past Sebastian._ "He's not worth your tears." Jace went to rub my eyes with his own jacket, I pushed his hand away.

"No, don't ruin your jacket." He tutted.

"Don't be so silly, Red. It's only a jacket." He wiped my eyes before pulling me in for a hug. It was a strange feeling being in Jace's arms, especially after the encounter I had just had with Sebastian. Just as I was started to relax, Jace tensed up. "Oh shit." He muttered and I followed his gaze. I immediately saw what he was looking at. Jon was on the other side of the lake clearly out for a run, but he was headed in this direction.

"I don't suppose he'd take too kindly to finding us out here together after I lied to him, would he?" I asked Jace as we got to our feet.

"Nope, don't think so." Jace took off down the hill. I tried to keep pace with him but it was impossible. He already had the car running by the time I got there. I threw myself into the car, the wind having turned my hair into nothing short of a birds nest. It was all over my face and I was having difficulties shifting it. Jace reached out to help me, his hand grazing my cheeks as he brushed my hair behind my ears. I was laughing amongst my gasps for breath. It all happened so suddenly, if you'd blinked you would have missed it. Jace's lips briefly skirted past my own, sending a shockwave of electricity soaring up my spine. I looked at him confused, my lips slightly parted.

For the first time since I'd met him, Jace looked embarrassed and nervous. He cut me off just before I could speak.

"I shouldn't have done that."

 **Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews. You make my day! All of my love, until the next time! ~Sapph**


	11. Chapter 11

I wasn't sure how Jace wanted me to react. The initial butterflies I'd received after his lips had brushed mine had quickly disappeared when he had spoken. Jace seemed to be having the same issues as we sat in the car in silence, the hum of the engine the only sound. _Had I done something wrong?_

"Sorry." I uttered, my voice breaking the silence. Jace turned to face me slowly, his eyes questioning mine. He seemed to be getting wound up with himself.

"I shouldn't have done that." He repeated to himself, frustration in his voice. I was starting to get frustrated myself.

"Why?" I could feel myself blushing as I spoke, embarrassment rife in my chest. _Was kissing me really that horrible of a thing to do?_ My question had stopped Jace in his tracks, he didn't look like he knew how to answer.

"I overstepped my mark. I'm your brother's best friend. I shouldn't have done that." Jace seemed to be talking to himself rather than answering my question.

"It was only a peck." I piped up.

"It's bad enough. I need to get you home Clary." I didn't argue with Jace. I crossed my arms, confused at what had brought all of this on. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I went through my texts not enjoying the atmosphere in the car. I had quite a few from Sebastian, all from the same number. I decided instead of blocking it or deleting them, I'd save the number. At least then I would know instantly it was him texting, plus I wasn't as scared of him anymore. If I could deal with him in person, I could deal with a text message. I also had a few messages from Simon.

 **Simon: I've just had to lie to your mother! What gives?**

 **Clary: Sorry Si, I'll explain it all to you later. Java Jones in 1 hour?**

 **Simon: Deal. I'll have your coffee waiting!**

"You're not going to tell Jon about Sebastian are you?" I asked Jace as we were nearing closer to home.

"Clary. No matter how much of an idiot I am, I wouldn't break your trust. You told me that in confidence, so in confidence it stays."

"Well, you kissed me in confidence…" I muttered, quietly. Jace shot me a look.

"It's hardly the same Clary. You're my best friend's sister."

"Fine, do you want me to leave you alone? Seeing as you're having such a moral crisis about this?" I spat with a little more venom than I had intended.

"No Clary, I don't want you to leave me alone. I just can't be like this with you. There's nothing wrong with you. It's my problem." Jace said as he pulled up at my house.

"I'll let you deal with your problem then. I wouldn't want to make your life difficult." I grumbled as I hopped out of the car. Jace wound his window down as I walked up to the house.

"Clary, don't be like that!" He shouted but I ignored him, walking through the door. Today had just been emotionally turbulent. Jace kissing me was fine, it was the way he had acted afterwards that had made me confused. Sneaking up the stairs, so not to alert my mother's attention, I headed into my en-suite. Tying my hair back, I grabbed my purse before heading back out. Thankfully Jace hadn't hung about. Upon entering Java Jones, I was relieved to see that Simon had picked a booth.

"Clary!" He smiled as I approached the table. I sat myself down opposite him. "What's wrong, why do I get the impression something's wrong?" Simon babbled and I shook my head.

"It's fine. Just one of them days. Sorry that you had to lie to my family." I said honestly. I knew Simon didn't like lying and I felt quite bad that'd he had to do it for me.

"Ah, don't worry about it." Simon shook it off. "You're going to tell me all about it, so I'm sure whatever it was it'll be worth it." Simon looked at me expectantly and I don't know why I'd never told him before. He was my best friend, my confidant, my second half.

"Whatever I tell you Simon, it can't go further than this table." I made him promise, even though I knew he wouldn't betray my trust. Force of habit.

"Of course Clary, you know I wouldn't." Simon looked at me, his eyes suspicious. Clearly whatever he had thought this was going to be about, he hadn't expected it to be so serious. On that note, I went on to divulge everything. Sebastian, our relationship, the abuse, his constant calling, and his arrival in New York – I told him everything, except about Jace's involvement. I hadn't anticipated the look of hurt in Simon's eyes. It took him a while to speak. "Clary…I can't bel- Does your mum know?" He said seriously, reaching out to hold my hand across the table. I shook my head as Simon rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand.

"You need to tell someone Clary. Your parents, the police – somebody!" Simon protested.

"Its fine now Simon. I've dealt with it."

"So you met with him? Why didn't you say something earlier – I would have went with you! It was dangerous for you to go alone, Clary. Anything could have happened."

"I didn't go alone." I muttered, starting to feel suddenly more awkward. Simon just looked at me confused. "Jace went with me."

"Jace?" Simon's brow furrowed.

"He found out by accident." I tried to explain myself.

"You don't have to explain Clary, I get it. How did it go then, with Sebastian I mean?"

"Not well. He just won't give up Si. I don't know how to get him to leave me alone."

"If I ever met him, and you know I'm not a violent person, I don't know what I'd do."

"Funny you should say that." I laughed emptily, raising my coffee to my lips. "I'm pretty sure you already have." Simon's brain was working in front of me and I slowly saw the realisation dawn on his face.

"The artist on the bridge? But he was – he seemed really nice."

"That's how they get you." I smiled timidly.

"I would have never have let him draw that portrait if I'd known Clary."

"It doesn't matter to me that he drew a portrait for you, I just needed to tell someone I could trust about it."

"So you can't trust Jace then?"

I shook my head. "It's not that, I don't want to talk about Jace right now." I tried to quickly change the subject. Thankfully I had the perfect subject. "So how are things with Isabelle?"

I got home that night to further questions. Jon was reclining on my bed, throwing a stressball up into the air.

"Come on in Jon, make yourself at home." I said, putting my purse down on my desk. Jon didn't look at me as he continued to throw the ball up into the air.

"What's going on with you Clary? You told me you were going out with Simon. Mum says Simon called by and that he was acting strange. So where were you? It doesn't bother me that you went out, it bothers me that you had to lie to me." Jon mused at the ceiling. I couldn't tell this story for a second time today.

"Simon and I just got our wires crossed, I thought I was meeting him at Java Jones and he thought he was meeting me here. No biggie." I shrugged as Jon sat up.

"Something is just not adding up here. If I get wind of anything untoward Clary, I'll have to tell Mum or Dad." Jon said, exiting the room, still throwing the stressball into the air. I was quick to fill the space that he had left on the bed, part of me wishing that he had left the stressball behind. I opened up my phone, scrolling through my messages.

 **Simon: If you need me at any point, let me know! I'll be there in the blink of an eye (or 5-10 minutes)**

 **Clary: Thank you Si. I really don't know what I'd do without you**

 **Simon: Crash and burn baby. Crash and burn.**

It surprised me that Sebastian hadn't messaged me anymore. It surprised me even more that Jace had.

 **Jace: I'm sorry about today, Clary.**

I read it three times over before I could think of a response.

 **Clary: I'm not.**

Putting my phone down for the night, I made my way downstairs to have that catchup that I'd promised my mother.

I'd forgotten how hard it was getting up for school after a weekend. I rose early, dressed early and left early not wanting to come across Jace nor Jon. I was one of the first to get to the school and the earliest in my form group. Reading over my schedule, I was relieved to see that after lunch I had double Art. Today suddenly wasn't looking so bad. Bizarrely, Isabelle was absent which made my day seemingly go slower. Simon was in none of my classes either but my contact with Jon and Jace was at an all-time low which I considered a success. By the time Art rolled around, I was completely ready to just sit and sketch for two and a half hours.

"Settle down, everyone. Settle down!" The teacher silenced the room. "Everyone will have to be quiet if you want to hear the special news." Attention seemed to be peaked, everyone suddenly curious. "As _some_ of you will already be aware, McKenna High works in close partnership with a couple of colleges in the area. For us specifically, we are quite lucky to be closely partnered with the Art Institute. This year, we will be making the most of that partnership in a project that focuses on partnership itself. You will be working in small groups with students from the Institute to create a piece that all members of the group will be graded upon." The room was full of chatter as people talked excitedly some about the idea of 'college boys', some about the opportunity. All I could hear was my heart thumping in my ears. I didn't even hear the teacher beckon everyone to leave the room, I just saw everyone making a general beeline for the door. Gathering my things, I trailed along at the back of the crowd. _Why was I getting myself so worried? Surely it wouldn't be first year college students. Even it was, what was to say that Sebastian would be one of them?_ Taking a deep breath, I followed my classmates into a large empty classroom. The room was set up with tables, each with four seats.

"Here's how this thing is going to work. I am going to let you choose ONE person from this group to be partnered with. Remember those pineapples I had you draw last week? You and your partner are going to put your sketches on a table together, the Institute students will be coming in once we have left the room. They will then pick which table they want to sit at based on your sketches and therefore which group they want to work with. We will then come back in, and you will sit at your original table and get to know your partners. No doubt you'll be seeing enough of them over the upcoming year." As soon as the teacher was finished speaking, I made sure to grab mine and Isabelle's sketches from the front desk before placing them both on a table relatively near the back. Once everyone was done, we were ushered into a classroom whilst the Institute students picked their tables. I spent the entire five minutes praying to any god that would listen that Sebastian wouldn't be in that room. I felt extremely uneasy as we were told it was time to go back into the room. It was a strange atmosphere when we went back in. Clearly the art students had chosen their seats, as their bags were present at the stations but only a few were sat down, most of them gathering supplies from the far side of the room. As far as first looks went, I couldn't see Sebastian. There was however someone sat at my table. The guy sitting there was gathering a lot of attention from the other girls in the room, which wasn't at all surprising. He was dark-skinned with dark curly hair, his arms covered in script like tattoos. He was pretty damn attractive. Moving myself around to the other side of the table, I placed my bag on what would be Isabelle's seat.

"Hey there. I'm Jordan, Jordan Kyle." He smiled wide, reaching over the table to shake my hand. Jesus, his hands were huge. And warm.

"Hi, I'm Clary." I smiled back, still feeling slightly on edge.

"I'm not entirely sure how this is meant to work, but isn't there meant to be another one of you?" He asked, looking at the seat where I had placed my bag.

"I could say the same to you." I looked at the empty seat next to him. "But to answer your question, my partner is ill today, so she'll be here next time."

"Well, my partner is about somewhere. Probably getting some good supplies before they all get wrecked. Which pineapple is yours by the way?" He asked, pushing the pieces of paper towards me. I pushed mine back towards him and he smiled again. "Easily the best one in the room, it's the reason we picked this table." I could feel myself blushing a little bit, my stomach starting to settle. "I wonder where he's gotten too, the bloody supplies are only over there." Jordan started to crane in his seat, looking through the crowd. "Ah here he is." I tried to follow his gaze but I couldn't see very much from my seat. Until my worst fears were confirmed.

"Clary, this is Sebastian. Seb, Clary."

 **Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews! You make my day! All my love, until next time. ~Sapph**


	12. Chapter 12

Sebastian was walking towards me, the embodiment of casual. He was wearing a tight fitting black t-shirt and light jeans. _I wasn't sure how he was going to play this. Was he going to play it cool and admit he knew me? Or was he going to play it cautiously?_

"Nice to meet you." Sebastian smiled, as he placed the supplies down at the table before sliding into his seat. Jordan hadn't noticed the atmosphere, he was too busy looking around the room. Sebastian never took his eyes from me, so I looked elsewhere.

"I think we're meant to just start jotting down ideas." He commented after looking at other tables. Jordan grabbed a piece of paper from Sebastian's gathered supplies, drawing out a mind-map. "Are we going to take it in turns?" Jordan asked, tapping the pencil against the desk.

"Why don't we just have a chat about it? Then write down the decent ideas?" Sebastian said, and Jordan agreed with him. "How about sculp-"Sebastian started, a gleam in his eye but I cut him off.

"What are you best at, Jordan?" I asked, resting on my elbows, trying to block Sebastian out. Jordan laughed, pushing his hair back from his face.

"That's a bit of a vague question but in terms of _art,_ my talents lie in mixed medium art. I like chaos."

"Well I'll try my hand at anything, I'm pretty easy going. Unless you have any objections?" I turned to face Sebastian.

"I like portraits, thanks for asking. I suppose we could do some sort of mixed medium portraiture?" He asked Jordan.

"If that's alright with you Clary? Do you think your partner will have any objections?" Jordan was looking directly at me, Sebastian was fidgeting at his side.

"I'm sure she'll be fine with it."

Jordan and Sebastian did most of the mind-mapping over the next hour as I doodled my own little ideas on a piece of paper. Thankfully when the bell rang for break, we were informed that only the school students were entitled to it and that the college students would stay and work on the projects, I darted from my seat and into the corridor to gather myself. I was halfway through penning a message to Jace about Sebastian when I remembered the situation and erased it.

"Clary!" Simon's head bobbed over the top of the crowd as he made his way over to me. "What's wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost." I pulled Simon over towards the lockers.

"Sebastian is in there." I muttered under my breath. Simon immediately turned around, looking around wildly. I turned him back to face me. "In the classroom."

"What?! Why?!" Simon looked flabbergasted.

"Some sort of project the school is running. Do not say anything though!"

"But Clary-"

"Simon!"

"Fine. Has he spoken to you?"

"Well – he's in my group."

"What?!"

"You can't say anything to Isabelle, because she's in my group too."

"Clary, you can't expect me to –"

"Please Simon." He looked at me, sighing.

"Fine. But if anything happens Clary, I swear –"

"I know, I know. It won't, I promise." Simon pulled me towards him in a side-hug. "I'll meet you here after class okay?" I nodded before walking back towards the classroom. Jordan and Sebastian had set up an image board on the table, sticking pieces of paper too it. "Anything I can help with?" I asked, putting my bag back down on the seat.

"Uh – will you check if there's any chalks over there? I've got an idea I want to jot down." Jordan asked and I headed towards the supply cupboard at the opposite end of the room. As I was sifting through chalks and charcoals, I nearly dropped them on the floor when someone came up behind me.

"Funny how these things work out, isn't it?" Sebastian said from behind me, feigning an interest in some pencils on the shelf next to me.

"Funny isn't the word I would use." I moved myself as far away from him as I could manage without it looking suspicious.

"Well whatever you want to call it, I would get used to it. I for one am definitely looking forward to seeing you for the next year, Clary. What is it they say – a lot can happen in a year?" Chalks in hand, I scooted past Sebastian, walking back to the table with haste. Jordan was cutting out some of my doodles when I got there, sticking them around the edge of the image board.

"These are really good Clary, I'm sure we can fit them into the idea somewhere. What I'm imagining in my head is sort of a portrait of Seb's, filled with intricate linework of yours, with the media of my work. It's just where your partner fits into that ratio." Jordan was muttering to himself as he looked over the image board.

"Isabelle could probably help me with the linework. It's really not that hard to do."

"Hey. Don't beat yourself down, you're really talented." Jordan flashed me another smile as he unboxed the chalk. Sebastian shot him a look as he came back to the table with modrock in his hands.

"I thought we weren't doing sculpture?" I questioned. Sebastian shrugged in response.

"I wanted to try out an idea. Is that alright with you?" Now it was my turn to shrug.

"Do what you like." I muttered before Sebastian walked back towards the sink to get some water.

"Do you guys have a problem or something? I'm sensing a bit of tension?" Jordan asked, still focussed on his work.

"I just think he's got a bit of a bad attitude." I answered but Jordan laughed.

"Honestly Clary, Seb is one of the sweetest guys you'll ever meet. He's chill. Give him a chance and you'll find out."

"Hmm, I guess he just reminds me of someone that's all."

The rest of the class went by without a hitch as Sebastian kept himself to himself. I started to ready myself about five minutes before the end of class, just so that I could get out before Sebastian had a chance to trail after me. When the bell rang, I quickly said my goodbyes before heading out in the corridor. Thankfully, Simon was already waiting for me and we got out of there as quickly as possible, heading straight to my house. My phone vibrated twice in my pocket, I checked it as I put my bag down in the kitchen.

 **Sebastian: I didn't realise loverboy went to your school. Interesting development. Nice to see you today by the way. Can't wait for tomorrow.**

It didn't surprise me that the other text was from Jace. If Sebastian had seen Jace, Jace must have seen Sebastian.

 **Jace: I'm pretty sure I've just seen Sebastian at the school.**

I decided to play it safe. Jace didn't need to get involved in this. It was all under control.

 **Clary: I haven't. Maybe you're seeing things.**

Leaving my phone on charge in the kitchen, I joined Simon in the living room.

"I can't believe they've let him into the school. It's crazy!"

"Keep your voice down Si." I said, even though I knew nobody was home. "It's hardly a matter of public record, the school probably just think their doing everyone a favour. I mean my old art school used to use mentoring all the time. Sebastian probably sees this whole situation as romantic." I rolled my eyes.

"Romantic how?"

"Well I told you about the first time we met didn't I? He was my mentor. This situation is very similar." I shrugged. Sebastian was a firm believer in signs, fate – all that jazz.

"I really think you should tell someone Clary…"

"No Simon, I can't. To be honest, this situation might work out in my favour. It gives me a way of actually showing him that I don't want anything to do with him."

"I hope it works like that but he sounds like a nasty piece of work-"Simon cut off as the front door opened.

"So did Isabelle mention to you why she was off today?" I asked Simon, quickly changing the subject to avoid suspicion from whoever had just entered.

"Dentist appointment, she'll be back tomorrow I think."

"That's good then. She doesn't really have much she has to catch up on. Especially not in art." I managed to say before the living room door opened. Jon walked in, eyeing Simon up.

"Clary, can I have a word?" I nodded, getting to my feet and following him out into the corridor. He shut the door behind him, and I noticed he'd also shut the kitchen door. Jace must have been with him. "I'm sorry about yesterday, Jace said he seen you waiting at Java Jones on his way to the gym yesterday. I think I've just been worried with you running off the other night."

"So – you believe me because Jace confirms it, not because you believe me in my own right?"

"Clary, don't twist it. I'm apologising."

"Apology accepted. Is that everything?" Jon frowned, his hand on his hip.

"What's the matter with you recently? You're acting strange." I shrugged.

"Adapting to life here I guess. I would just rather you took my word on things from now on." I said. "Please." I added to soften it. Jon nodded.

"I know Clary, I'm sorry. I'm just new to this full-time big brother thing."

"It's alright. I'm still getting used to the whole little sister thing." Jon smiled before walking back to the kitchen.

"Remember, any issues – I'm just across the hall."

I sunk into the sofa when I got back into the living room.

"He knows something is up." I said as Simon squeezed himself in next to me.

"Have you told him?"

"No, he might go to my parents."

"But what if Jace tells him?"

"He promised he wouldn't." Simon nodded, pulling his phone from his pocket.

"Isabelle thinks you're ignoring her, apparently she's tried ringing and texting you." I felt my pockets before remembering that I'd left my phone in the kitchen.

"Be right back." I quickly dipped into the kitchen, to find Jace sitting there by himself, once again. "Do you just like to hang out in my kitchen, by yourself? Do you not have your own kitchen?" I asked, as I made my way across the breakfast bar to where I'd left my phone.

"You've got me." Jace said sarcastically. I curled my lip as I looked for my phone. It was only then I realised that Jace had it sat before him.

"Give it back." I said, holding out my hand. He held it, just looking at me.

"You know what I find interesting?" He asked, tapping my phone against the palm of his hand. "You tell me that you're petrified of this Sebastian guy, you make such a big deal out of him contacting you…and then you add his number to your phone."

"You've been going through my phone?" I protested, grabbing for my phone back but he held it just out of reach.

"Not exactly. It came across the front who had text you…Isabelle, Isabelle, Sebastian, Isabelle." I could feel heat rushing into my face.

"It's easier for me to keep track that way." Jace pulled a face, clearly not believing me.

"I'm struggling to believe that Clary."

"You know what Jace?" I finally managed to grab my phone back. "Believe what you want. I don't have to justify myself to you, just like you don't have to justify yourself to me which was pretty evident yesterday. Do me a favour and **stop** going through my things." I said to him as he sat back in his chair, a smile on his face.

"Is this about that kiss Clary? I didn't realise you were still hung up." He smiled and I returned it with a scowl. It was as though he was deliberately trying to piss me off and push me away.

"You're making this leaving you alone thing a hell of a lot easier." I said, before storming out of the kitchen, slamming the door shut behind me.

 **Jace's POV**

Regardless of what Clary said, I knew it was Sebastian I'd seen earlier at school. His face wasn't one that I was going to forget quickly. Pushing Clary away seemed to be working, it wouldn't be long before she stayed away from me altogether. I couldn't let myself be like that with her and every time she was close to me, it heightened the temptation. It was too easy to slip into it. I couldn't lose Jon as a friend, even if that meant I had to sacrifice any potential Clary and I had together. That didn't mean that I was just going to let things with Sebastian fly under the radar. I wasn't going to tell Jon, but I also wasn't going to stop keeping an eye on Sebastian.

 **Thank you to every single one of you who reads and reviews! You really warm my heart! All of my love, until the next time (which I don't think will be that long between you and me!). ~Sapph**


	13. Chapter 13

I was over the moon to see Isabelle already in form room the next morning. I'd already caught her up to date with everything that was going on over the phone last night once Simon had gone home. As far as she was aware, we now shared our art lessons with two college boys, which Isabelle seemed intrigued by.

"So what are they like then, these college boys?" She giggled, when I sat down. I tried not to roll my eyes, she didn't know the full situation so it wasn't fair of me to get mad with her.

"One of them is really nice actually, one of them has a little bit of an attitude." No doubt when Isabelle was with me, Sebastian would be the image of perfection that he played too well.

"We have another double this afternoon don't we? I'm quite excited." Isabelle laughed. I tried my hardest to smile but if I was honest I really couldn't be bothered. "Me and Si were thinking about bowling tonight, do you fancy it?" Isabelle asked and I shrugged.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan. I'll probably have a bit more luck with the bowling than I did with the ice skating anyway." I smiled as the bell for first period rang out.

Before I could even catch up with myself, it was time for Art. Isabelle met me outside the classroom, her sketchpad already in her hands. As soon as I reached the door, she stood behind me, following me into the room. Neither Jordan nor Sebastian was here yet. I led Isabelle over to our table and we sat waiting. Jordan was the first through the door.

"That's the nice one." I indicated under my breath as Jordan headed our way. Isabelle was playing nervously with her hair as he took his seat. "Jordan, this is Isabelle. Isabelle, Jordan." I introduced them and they shook hands across the table. Sebastian arrived shortly afterwards in a white shirt and a pair of black jeans.

"Oh my god!" Isabelle was saying as Sebastian joined the table. "I know you!" She laughed, shaking Sebastian's hand. "Clary! This is the guy who drew mine and Simon's picture!" Isabelle turned to me, a large smile on her face. I forced a smile.

"I didn't realise you three were friends!" Sebastian smiled back, looking directly at me.

"Simon and Clary are like the best of friends! He was disappointed that you weren't in the picture with us actually." Isabelle said, looking at me also.

"It is a shame, I would have liked to have drawn you." He smiled at me wickedly. "Maybe some other time?"

"Yeah, maybe." I added, before getting up from my seat to go and get our image board. I was trying my best to be civil with him for Isabelle's sake but it was testing. It made me really uneasy when I got back to the table to see Sebastian helping Isabelle with something, his hand resting over hers. It wasn't jealousy so much as it was anxiety.

"Come and have a look at this Clary." Jordan said as I got to the table, holding his sketchbook open in front of him. I moved into Sebastian's seat, flipping through Jordan's sketchbook. He'd been working really hard on our concept for the project, although it looked like he'd incorporated something new into it.

"What's this?" I asked, pointing to some sort of hand that was protruding from the image.

"That was Sebastian's idea actually. It sort of gives the image an extra dimension, if we have sort of sculpture coming from it, if that makes sense to you. Here, let me show you." He brushed my hand out of the way with his own, gently before running through the image with me. "It would have to a female pair of hands though because we'd want them quite small, hands like mine would kind of ruin it." He finished up with. "May I?" He asked, touching my hand. I shrugged, letting him examine one of my hands. "Yours are pretty much the perfect size. We should modrock them up in a couple of different claw shapes to see which one will go best. You up for that?" He asked.

"Yeah, not a problem." I smiled. He tapped me on the shoulder before he headed off into the supply cupboard. If looks could kill, I would have been dead 5 times over. Sebastian was looking at me with a completely neutral face but his eyes were burning. Isabelle was sat next to him laughing at whatever it was he was talking about. Once Jordan was back at the table, Sebastian caught his attention.

"What's the plan of action then?" He asked.

"Well, we need the outline of the portrait first before we can do anything. So how about you and Isabelle was it? You two start with the portrait outline. Clary and I were just going to experiment with a few of the sculpture ideas." Jordan said as he was unboxing the modrock.

"Are you sure you don't want to do the outline, I mean I don't mind doing the modrock?" Sebastian said, his gaze unfaltering. Jordan shook his head.

"Nah, it's cool mate. You outline better than I do, so I'd rather just do this." Begrudgingly, Sebastian gestured for Isabelle to follow him as they set up a canvas next to the window. Jordan was giving Sebastian a weird look, and I couldn't see the harm in asking him what was up.

"Does he usually act like this?" I asked, rubbing water on my arms before wrapping them in clingfilm.

"Not really." Jordan shrugged, turning back to the modrock before suddenly looking up at me. "I think I know what's going on actually, has he spoken to you about anything?"

"No, definitely not." I laughed, and Jordan looked over at Sebastian once more.

"He asked me last night when we left here…if I was interested in you." He laughed, running his hand through his hair. "It was just completely out of the blue, nothing prompted it. But I don't know if that's why he's acting so strange. Thought I'd give you a heads up either way." Jordan smiled as he started layering the modrock onto my arms.

"Very strange." I said, making a note in my head to question Sebastian about this when I got a chance. "Maybe when you've done mine, you should do Isabelle's as well, then you can test four ideas at once?" I suggested to Jordan and he seemed to think it was a good idea. Once my arms were completely immobile, I headed over to Isabelle to tell her that Jordan needed to use her arms as well. She and Sebastian were deep into a conversation when I reached them.

"Oh hi Clary, Isabelle was just telling me what a fantastic ice skater you are." Sebastian smiled, turning to face me. Isabelle blushed a little.

"I hope you don't mind Clary." I shook my head.

"It's fine. It's public knowledge I'm as clumsy as they come. Jordan needs your hands to do testers on Isabelle, do you mind?" She didn't need telling twice. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, she was over in the seat next to Jordan, her arms outstretched.

"This always was a good look for you." Sebastian said, as I walked over next to him.

"Shut up." I said, shaking my head. "Why have you been asking people if they're interested in me?" I muttered.

"Because you're off limits." Sebastian shrugged, filling in some linework on his canvas.

"Says who?"

"Says me. He will feel mighty awkward flirting with you like he was yesterday when we get back together won't he?" Sebastian said. He turned to look at me as I scoffed.

"What part of the 'leave me alone please' did you not get? Because I can run through it again now for you if you'd like?"

"It's easy to fall back in love with someone for the second time." He smiled at me. "Here come look at this, I need an artistic eye. Lord knows your friend over there is pretty useless." If it wasn't for my arms being wrapped up, I would have smacked him for his cheek. I looked at the image and immediately started to see some similarities.

"Is this me?" I asked.

"It is. Don't worry though, I'm going to be doing one of Isabelle as well. I'll just be spending a little more time on yours. Your kind of beauty is a difficult thing to get right the first time." He caressed the base of his pencil along my chin and I backed away from him.

"Your flattery will get you nowhere Sebastian." I informed him.

"It did the first time. I'm sure it will again." I stood next to him in silence as the next ten minutes passed, watching him sketch out Isabelle's outline. There was no question about it, he was fantastically talented. Watching him sketch like this took me back to a whole different time.

**FLASHBACK**

 _ **Sebastian: I'll meet you in the gallery 20 minutes before opening okay? See you soon x**_

 _There was a lump in my stomach as I dried my hair. I was so nervous about tonight, it HAD to go well. The school was hosting a gallery night to showcase our projects that we had been working on for the last couple of months to no one other than industry experts! Once my hair was dried, I left it naturally curly, using a couple of bobbypins to keep the stragglers in line. My mother had picked out a lovely sapphire blue dress for me to wear. It fell to my knees, the half-sleeves made of lace. Once I had managed to get it on, I set about putting my shoes on, which was a completely separate challenge on its own. I walked nervously down the stairs when it was time to go, my knees shaking slightly. My mum's jaw fell open as I stepped down from the final stair._

" _So, what do you think?" I asked, twisting a strand of hair between my thumb and forefinger._

" _You look so grown up Clary." My mum smiled, wiping a tear from her eye._

" _Oh my god mum, don't cry!" I laughed, hugging her. She laughed into my shoulder as we swayed on the spot before holding me at arms-length._

" _I'm so proud of you Clary yknow? I always will be. Now let's get you to your big night."_

 _My heart was in my throat by the time we got to the school. My mum wished me good luck as I set off into the building. The night wasn't open yet, so the only people milling the halls were the artists and the teachers. I made my way to the room where Sebastian was due to meet me, a little early as per. Because he wasn't there yet, I found myself making final perfectionist touches to the piece._

" _Wow." I turned on my heel, to see Sebastian resting against the arch of the doorway fully kitted out in a light grey suit. I could feel my knees going weak, my heart thumping in my chest, dying to burst forth._

" _Ha, this old thing?" I laughed, playing with the edges of the dress nervously. He walked across the room, slow and determined, his eyes unfaltering. His hands grasped either side of my face, his lips smashing into mine. One of his hands snaked down to my back, holding me against him as he kissed me with unrivalled passion. I had to breathe long and hard when he broke the kiss._

" _I've wanted to do that since the first time I met you." He smiled, grabbing my hands in his own. "I've also wanted to do this for quite some time. Seeing as it is our final night working on this project, I'm not quite ready to give up on our time together. Will you be my girlfriend, Clary?"_

"You make a perfect model when you go all distant like that." Sebastian commented as he finished off his outline of Isabelle. I pulled a face at him before I realised it looked about time for the modrock to come off. I looked over to Jordan but he was busy finishing off Isabelle's. Grabbing a pair of scissors, I tried to line up my arm perfectly but in honesty, I was cutting blind. "Give them here." Sebastian said, holding his hand out. I looked at him, not wanting to give in. He easily took the scissors from my hand, holding my arm out straight in front of him as he cut up my arm. When he was pulling the modrock back from my arm, his fingertips traced up my forearm. I looked out of the window, not wanting to engage in eye contact. "There. You're all done. Next time ask, I don't' want you hurting yourself." _That was rich!_ Deciding not to get into an argument, I returned to the table and set about remodelling the sculpture for the rest of the class. As I was walking out of the door, Isabelle caught a hold of me.

"We'll come pick you up at 6, okay?" I agreed before making my way home.

It was 5.45 and I was strangely running late. I'd decided on some black skinny jeans, a black tank top and leather jacket. Once I'd reached the bottom of the stairs, I pulled on a pair of black combat boots.

"You going to a biker bar?" Jon was stood behind me dressed in a loose grey shirt and some dark jeans, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"You're not funny." I commented, tying the laces on my boots.

"No, genuinely. Where are you going dressed like that? I don't feel comfortable you leaving the house dressed like that by yourself."

"Calm down Dad. I'm going out with Isabelle." Suddenly his face lit up.

"You're coming bowling too?" _Oh wonderful! Fantastic!_

"What do you mean 'too'?" _If Jon was coming, surely that meant…_

"Isabelle asked Jace and me if we wanted to go earlier. You know me, game for any opportunity to kick arse." I nodded, just what I needed, to see Jace whilst he was still in his mood. "Do you not want to zip that up?" Jon asked, as he put on his own shoes. I flapped him off.

"Get off! The way you're going on it's as though I'm going out of the house in a bra!" I growled at him. Jon looked me over with his eyebrow raised. "Bore off will you!" I shouted, chucking one of Mum's slippers at him. He laughed holding his hands up earnestly.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Calm down!" A beep echoed from outside and my heart fell further into my stomach. Fantastic. Jace was taking us it seemed. I followed Jon from the house and headed straight for the back of the car, climbing in next to Simon. I could see Jace looking at me through the rear view but I ignored it. Isabelle, Simon and I spoke about trivial things on the way to the bowling alley, mainly having a catch up.

Once we were inside, we were given the lane right at the back of the alley. Isabelle must have finally taken the time to have a good look at me.

"You look sooo good today Clary! Why didn't you come dressed like this to school today?" She asked and I could only respond with a laugh as suddenly everyone's eyes were on me.

"I don't think this is really something I'd wear to school." I smiled, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Could you imagine if you had though? Those college boys could barely take their eyes off you today when you were dressed normally, let alone like this!" She laughed heartily and I shut my eyes, blinking slowly.

"What college boys?" Jace and Jon piped up in unison. Isabelle looked around the group.

"I thought you guys would have heard by now, it's going all around the school! In one of our classes, we have college students working with us." Isabelle looked at me grinning, I smiled back lightly.

"What class?" Jace muttered.

"What college boys?" Jon repeated.

"It's not a big deal really. It's in Art." Isabelle answered, picking out a bowling ball.

"What college boys?" Jon repeated as Jace just looked on, his jaw line hardened up completely.

"I doubt you'd know them-"

"What - college - boys?" Jon cut her off. He wasn't going to rest until he'd heard their names.

"Jordan Kyle and Sebastian Verlac." I piped up as Isabelle took her turn bowling. Jon's face didn't settle, neither did Jace's.

"Jordan Kyle? I know him. He's got a bit of a reputation Clary. You need to stay away from him." Jon told me, picking out his own bowling ball.

"And you and Jace don't?" I looked between them. Jon laughed.

"Yes Clary, but you're not going to date me or Jace, so that's irrelevant." He smiled before going to bowl. Just as I was about to go and pick my own bowling ball, I felt Jace step up behind me.

"Clary. A word. In private. Now. Please." He said through gritted teeth, walking towards the bar.

"Does anyone want a drink? Jace and I are just going to get some?" I asked, taking their order before following after him. He led me over to a dark corner, next to some flashy dance machines.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Jace asked, looking down at me. I shrugged. "What, you didn't think this was important?"

"It's not that I didn't think it was important. I just didn't think I was important to you. You've been pushing me away the last few days. Sorry that you weren't the first person I thought to run too. I can deal with it anyway. It's fine."

"Clary, you are important to me. You heard what Jon said though. I can't get involved with you like that, it wouldn't sit well with him."

"Why didn't you think about that before you kissed me?" Jace was getting frustrated, his hands held firmly at his sides.

"I wasn't thinking clearly when I kissed you, I don't think clearly when I'm around you." He grumbled through gritted teeth. I was taken aback. His hands softened as he said it, his eyes looking right down into mine. I didn't break the gaze, looking up at him, eyes full of curiosity. "Oh for goodness sake." He growled, before his hand sprung around my waist, spinning me on the spot before pinning me against the wall behind me. His lips cascaded into my own, his mouth hungry, his tongue even more so. I gripped firmly onto his jacket, sinking into the kiss. It was far too short for my liking as Jace pulled back, his eyes closed. I knew what was coming, he was going to do the same as he had done last time – kiss me and then push me away.

"Let's get the drinks, we'll talk about all of – this – later." Jace said, walking off towards the bar. I stalked behind him, biting my lip. Well, that was a better response than last time.

 **Thank you to every single one of you who reads and takes their time to review – it really warms my heart to read your feedback. All my love, until the next time (*hint* It's tomorrow *hint*) ~Sapph**


	14. Chapter 14

Once we'd gotten the drinks, I walked back over to the rest of the group in a daze. My heart was thrashing around in my chest, that whole encounter taking me for six. Jace seemed to be keeping his distance from me which was good for me, because every time he came close, my heart and mind would go into overdrive.

"I'm just going to nip to the toilet." I said, as the game was finishing up. "I'll be back for the next one." I quickly went to the toilet, fixing my hair whilst I was in there. I was heading back across the alley when I heard a voice call out behind me.

"Clary? Is that you?" I span on the spot, trying to have a look at where it was coming from. Just as I was about to count it down to me hallucinating, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I had to plaster a fake smile to my face. Sebastian and Jordan were stood in front of me, dressed in the same attire from earlier. Jordan was smiling at me widely, while Sebastian was stood behind him, his hand on his chin looking me up and down.

"Hi." I breathed, putting my hands into the pockets of my leather jacket. "I've got to get back to my lane." I smiled, trying to turn back around. Sebastian reached out, grabbing my arm and turning me. I would have slapped him off if Jordan wasn't standing there.

"Why the rush? We'll walk with you and play the lane next to you guys. Isabelle invited us earlier." Sebastian smiled, finally releasing his grip on my arm. I shrugged, before walking slightly ahead of them. I felt sick to my stomach, how was Jace going to react when I walked over with these two. My questions were soon answered. Jace's face fell a mile when I reached our lane, Sebastian and Jordan taking the lane next to us. He raised an eyebrow at me, but I shook my head lightly before casting my eyes down.

"If it isn't Jon Morgenstern!" Jordan laughed as he reached our lane walking over to Jon and clapping him on the back. Jon broke into a wide smile, returning the clasp.

"I'd say I was surprised to see you, but Clary said you were in her art class." Jon smiled, resetting the bowling machine.

"Oh – I didn't realise. Are you and Clary, involved?" Jordan asked, raising his eyebrows. Jon laughed.

"No man! She's my sister." Jordan span around to look at me, before back to Jon.

"I was going to say! She's way out of your league." Jordan joked as Jon scowled. I turned my attention to Sebastian who had now claimed Isabelle's attention. Simon was sat looking aggravated, Jace even more so. I tried to catch Sebastian's attention over the top of Isabelle's head, pointing over to the foyer. It wasn't hard to do and once I walked myself over to the foyer, he followed me over.

"How has your twisted little mind convinced you that this is a good idea?" I spat at him under my breath. His face was overtaken by a smug grin and it was filling me with anger.

"Clary, you're going to have to get used to me being around. I'm hoping to get to know your brother a little bit tonight. Also, those clothes of yours leave very little to the imagination, you've got my mind running wild." He shrugged, the grin still firm on his face as he tried craning over my head to look back at the group.

"If you cared about me at all, you would leave me alone Sebastian. It's what's best for the both of us."

"What's best for me, is you. And I'm sure I can be what's best for you."

"It's not going to happen, not after everything that has happened." I shook my head, talking as quietly as I could manage, my back to the group.

"You're getting confused Clary, it must be stress, you can't think properly."

"I am not confused Sebastian. I know what happened."

"Nothing did! You've just convinced yourself –"

"You tried to **rape** me Sebastian!" I growled under my breath.

"He what?" A voice spoke next to me. I looked down, I couldn't bear to look up, the judgement too much for me.

"You're confused Clary, honestly. I can explain all of this." Sebastian moved forward, reaching out to touch my arm but Jace intercepted.

"Touch her again and it won't just be your fingers you have to worry about." He said through gritted teeth. Sebastian looked like he was going to say something back, before thinking better of it.

"See you in class, Clary." He smiled before heading back to the group.

"I've got to go home Jace, I can't stay here. Will you tell Jon I've went home because I'm not feeling well?" I babbled, feeling the tears prickling in the back of my eyes. Why was it whenever I had something good going, I immediately got knocked right back down to the ground. Jace beckoned Jon over and I had no idea what he was planning on doing, I was just praying he wouldn't repeat what he had just heard. _How much of it had he heard?_

"Jon, Clary isn't feeling very good. Do you want me to take her home, I mean with you not having the car and all?" Jace said, making it seem like he was doing Jon a favour.

"Would you mind mate? I suppose that Sebastian and Jordan can jump in and fill your spots. You sure you don't want to stay Clary?" I shook my head, just about holding myself together.

"I don't mind, I know you'd do the same for me." Jace smiled as Jon clapped him on the shoulder.

"Get well soon ok, Clary?" He said and I nodded, before getting myself out of there and into the fresh air. The idea of Jon bowling with Sebastian, acting friendly, made me feel even worse. But I couldn't say anything. Jace placed his hand on the base of my back, leading me over to the car as though I was actually ill. When we reached the car, he opened my door for me, helping me in before shutting it behind me. Pulling the car out of the car park, we drove for five minutes before he pulled into another car park a little further down the road.

"You need to tell me what's going on Clary. What I heard, wasn't good."

"What did you hear?" I asked, rubbing the sleeve of my jacket against my bottom lip, nervously.

"I heard it all Clary. I heard what you said." I pulled my head into my hands, my knees up to my chin. This was the one thing that I had never wanted to talk about, the one thing that I needed to keep to myself. "Please, talk to me." I shook my head, the tears threatening to fall at any moment.

"I can't talk about it Jace. Please don't make me." I gulped. Jace sighed unbuckling himself.

"I'm not going to make you do anything Clary, come into the back – I think you could do with a hug." He said, before hopping out of his door and opening mine up. I climbed down and into the back seats. Jace climbed in next to me, wrapping a steady arm around my shoulders and bringing me in close to him. "I just think that you should probably talk to someone, it can't be good having such a massive weight on your shoulders. Just let it out." With that, I burst into tears. Jace holding my body as I shook uncontrollably. He had a point. I'd told him all of my problems before and he hadn't told a soul. Maybe it was time to confess my worst memory.

"I'll try, but I don't know if I can." I muttered, resting against his chest, not looking him in the eye.

**FLASHBACK**

 _Sebastian was sketching in the corner, something or other for his interview. Whatever it was, it was stressing him out. Bits of paper were flying left right and centre, pencils getting cracked in half every ten minutes or so._

" _Do you not want to call it a night and work on it tomorrow?" I asked, reclining on his bed, patting the space next to me. He turned to me, his eyes full of fire._

" _Clary. If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it. So just keep it schtum okay." He grunted, before turning back to his work. I shrugged, resting my head back down. Closing my eyes, I relaxed into the bed. This day had been too long and I was exhausted. Surely Sebastian wouldn't mind if I had a nap._

 _I didn't know how long I'd been out but when I started to wake up, it was dark and something was against my face making it difficult to breathe. I tried to push myself up from the bed, but I couldn't get up. Why couldn't I get up? Opening my eyes, I saw Sebastian's face pressed against mine, his lips on my own. I tried to pull away, but I couldn't. I struggled underneath him, what was he doing? Finally his lips broke from mine, and I could see the room a bit better. He was sat on top of me, his hips straddling my own._

" _Sebastian, what are you doing?" I muttered, trying to move out from underneath him._

" _Shh, Clary. It's alright." He soothed, his voice husky. He started to lift my tshirt with one of his hands, his mouth leaving butterfly kisses along my stomach and up to my ribcage. I didn't feel comfortable with this. I tried swatting him with my hands, trying to move but he pinned both of my hands above my head with just the one of his. The tears were stinging hard in my eyes. What was he doing? Why was he doing this?_

" _Sebastian, please don't." I cried as he reached up, cupping my chest before his hand started grappling with the button on my jeans._

" _Calm down, Clary. You'll enjoy it." He muttered, letting go of my hands to help him undo the button. As soon as my hands were free, I pulled myself up, hitting him in the chest and trying to get free. But he was too strong. He pushed me back down onto the bed, his hand against my throat as his other hand started sliding my jeans down my thighs. I cried, resigning myself to the fact that I was completely helpless._

" _Sebastian? Are you home?" A voice called from downstairs as the front door opened. His mum was home. Sebastian quickly went to answer his mum's question, hopping off of me saying 'I'll be back in a minute'. I wasn't going to give him a second, let alone a minute. Readjusting my clothes, I grabbed my bag and ran from his house, never looking back._

I recited the story to Jace best I knew how. The tears streaming down my face the further through the story I got, until I was on the verge of a panic attack.

"Hey, hey." Jace soothed, holding either side of my face. "Do you trust me?" He asked. I nodded, trying to breathe. "Look at me, you're fine, you're completely fine. I'm here and you're fine." He promised me, stroking my hair with his fingertips. I nodded, breathing deeper, until I had it under control. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that Clary. All I can promise you, is that he will never touch you again." As much as I wanted to believe what Jace was saying, it was difficult – Sebastian proving a lot more of a threat over the recent weeks. All I wanted to do was change the subject, to forget about him for at least a few minutes of my life, to move on once and for all. I couldn't spend my entire future thinking about Sebastian and the damage he had done. I needed to think about good futures and I full well believed Jace to be part of that, at least right now.

"I guess the talking about 'this' will be scheduled for another day." I commented, Jace looked at me warily.

"I don't really think now is the time Clary. You have to deal with this first."

"I've dealt with it. I'm dealing with it. I want to talk about before." I started to blush, my eyes glued onto Jace's. "Please." I added, softly.

"The temptation with you is too much Clary." Jace muttered, I never took my eyes from him. "I don't mean to kiss you, but that's the second time it's happened now…" He trailed off as though he was thinking. "It's a difficult situation."

"Then make it less difficult." I said, biting my lip lightly. Jace looked at me, his face tilted slightly. "Surely if it's something you really want then where's the downside?"

"It's like asking me to choose between you and my best friend." He said, running his hands through his hair.

"I'm not giving you an ultimatum Jace. I'm asking you to tell me how you feel, what you want." I pleaded, I had to know where I stood.

"You haven't exactly told me what you want, Red." He said. _Chicken._ A smile crept onto my face at the mention of that nickname.

"I don't think I can tell you. It'd probably be better if I showed you." I said, nodding my head. Jace looked confused.

"Show me?" Was all he got out before I grabbed a handful of his t-shirt, dragging his face towards mine, our lips coming together once more. I could feel the shock on his mouth briefly, before it was replaced with desire. He pulled himself closer to me, my back fully pressed against the inside of the car door. One of his hands snaked into my hair, the other caressing my cheek gently as his tongue explored my mouth. I could feel his heart beating against my chest, creating a rhythm with my own. I kept my hand wrapped up in his tshirt, pulling him as close to me as I could muster. His mouth broke free of my own, kissing along my jawline and down my throat before kissing me back on the lips once more. My spine was tingling, my skin on fire as he pulled back, brushing his hair out of his face. I was falling for him. Hard.

"What on earth are you doing to me, Red?"

 **Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews, you really make writing this a whole load of fun! All of my love, until the next time. ~Sapph**


	15. Chapter 15

**I just want to take some time out at the beginning of this chapter to say thank you. The reviews I've been receiving have really blown me away and I'm thankful for each and every one of you who takes your time to let me know what you think!**

We sat in silence after out latest encounter, both of us deep in thought.

"I think I want to go back." I said, turning to face Jace. Whatever he'd thought I was going to say first, this clearly wasn't it.

"What? Bowling? Do you really think that's a good idea?" Jace asked, concerned. I nodded.

"Well, I don't want Sebastian to think that he can just turn up somewhere and make me flee. Plus do you really want to leave him alone with Isabelle and Jon? Could you imagine if he became friends with Jon or friendly with Isabelle? I really think we should go back." Jace was thinking about it.

"And how do we explain your miraculous recovery?"

"I'll just say that we went for a walk and the fresh air made me feel better." I said, blushing. Jace sighed.

"Fine. We'll go back." He sighed, as we made our way back into the front. "Any funny business from him though and I don't think I'll be able to hold back."

"Try for my sake. Don't lower yourself to his level."

We pulled back up at the bowling alley, five minutes later.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jace asked me before we got out of the car.

"100% sure. I'm fine honestly." I said, even though my heart was fluttering in my chest. I had to do this and I would rather do it surrounded by friends. I wasn't going to let him chase me away from activities like this. As we walked through the door, I held my head as high as I could. The shouts and laughter coming from the group was off-putting but I was glad to see that Simon was staying far away from Sebastian and trying to make sure Isabelle did the same. Jon was the first one to catch sight of us, bounding in our direction.

"Is something wrong?" Jon asked when he reached us.

"I got some fresh air and I feel a bit better, so I thought I'd come back."

"Great! We were just about to start a new game. We could play teams?" Jon suggested as he led us back over to the group.

"Whatever you want, mate." Jace said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Do you mind if I sit this one out? I think I hurt my hand with that last throw." Simon said, holding his hand in his lap. Isabelle was at his side laughing.

"Is it not just because I beat you?" She smiled and Simon's ears went slightly red.

"Okay so how about me, Jordan and Isabelle on one team, Jace, Sebastian and Clary on the other." I knew why Jon had picked these teams. He'd made sure he had chosen himself a good team, whilst making sure he could still compete with Jace. Once everyone had agreed to it, Jon set himself away updating the machine. Jace was stood at my side, his arms folded across his chest. Sebastian was looking at the lane, away from us, but I could see the smile on his face from where I was stood.

"Right, we're all set up. Ladies first?" Jon smiled to Isabelle who was quick to get to her feet. As Isabelle was taking her shot, I started picking out a suitable ball. I selected a small black one, the only one that my fingers seemed to fit into. My jacket was restricting though, shrugging it from my shoulders, I walked over to where Simon was sat to ask him to keep an eye on it for me.

"Si, would you mind keep an eye on my jacket for me please?" I asked, pulling my tank top up a bit further.

"Yeah, not a problem." Simon smiled as he grabbed my hand, pulling me to sit next to him. "Are you alright? I had no idea Isabelle had invited them, we can go if you like?" Simon whispered, his eyes unmoving from Sebastian. I shook my head, resting my hand on Simon's arm.

"I'm fine honestly. I'm not going to let him chase me away. Once he realises he can't control my life, he should back off." Simon looked anxiously at me.

"You will tell me if you change your mind, won't you?"

"Of course I will Si. Thanks." I smiled, getting back to my feet, my bowling ball in my hand. I was quick to throw the ball, well aware of everyone's eyes on me. Out of sheer luck, I matched Isabelle's score.

The game went by with little interaction with Sebastian, the end result going to Jon's team by one point. Jace wasn't having it.

"Rematch. Me and you. Right now." Jace was saying to Jon, who was easily persuaded into a rematch.

"Put me in as well!" Isabelle piped up, not wanting to be left out. I shook my head when asked if I wanted to play again.

"Hey Clary, do you want to get check out the arcade machines?" Simon asked, handing me my jacket back.

"Sure, let's go see if we can finally crack that claw machine." I smiled, putting my jacket back on,

"I can't see it happening."

"You sure you're going to be able to play arcade machines with that poorly hand?" I asked, concealing a smile.

"Shut up Clary." Simon grinned, shoving my shoulder as we reached the claw machine. "Hang about, I'll go get some change."

"Mind if we tag along?" Jordan was stood behind me, Sebastian beside him. "We didn't fancy taking part in Jace and Jon's pissing contest." I shrugged. It didn't bother me if they wanted to come to the arcade. The arcade wasn't really about 'group' activity.

"That Jace is a bit abrasive isn't he?" Sebastian said, and I didn't give him the satisfaction of an answer. Simon's face twitched when he came back. His eyes unable to leave Sebastian. I hoped that when we started messing around with the claw machine, that Sebastian and Jordan would get bored and move onto another machine. Unfortunately, they took up the one next to us. Simon and I took turns, trying to catch dinosaur plushies. It didn't take long to forget that they were there.

"Hold my jacket Si! This is getting serious." I joked, stripping out of my jacket and cracking my fingers. I placed my hands delicately on the stick, moving the claw towards a purple brontosaurus at the back. The claw grabbed it around the base of its neck, raising it slowly up into the air. I held my breath, Simon by my side holding my arm. The closer the claw got to the drop, the more the brontosaurus was slipping. It was going to be close. Mere centimetres from the drop, the brontosaurus fell from the claw and I put my head in my hands. "Simon! Did you see how close that was?"

"Come on, scoot over. Let me show you how it's done." Simon joked, handing me my jacket back as he took up place at the machine.

"You two seem to really enjoy your claw machines." Jordan commented, standing back as Sebastian was taking his turn.

"It's the bane of our lives. We've never beaten it, ever." Jordan was nodding his head laughing, as Simon groaned, missing out on a t-rex he had been going for. We swapped out again, the brontosaurus in my sights. Sebastian had finished his turn and was leaning against my machine. Very off-putting. I leant forward in time with the claw, trying to snag the plushie. Again it dropped it, and I pulled back growling. Simon was back on the machine, this time aiming for my brontosaurus. "Si, I thought you wanted the T-rex?"

"I do, but you want the bronto. I'm going to get it for you." He smiled wickedly at me, over the top of his glasses. I laughed, standing just behind him, rubbing his shoulders.

"Come on Si. You can do this." I psyched him up. His claw descended, picking up its target. "It's coming Si!"

"Come on, please, come on." Simon was muttering under his breath. The next few seconds were tense, but when the claw reached the drop, the dinosaur was still attached. "We did it!" Simon shouted, turning to face me and lifting me into the air. I was laughing, my arms wrapped around Simon's neck. Simon put me down on the ground, pulling the dinosaur out of the gap and handing it to me. "That wasn't too hard now was it!?" He laughed.

"Thank you Simon." I smiled, tucking my dinosaur under my arm.

"I need some more money, I'll be two seconds." Simon smiled, disappearing off into the crowd once more. Jordan followed after him citing the same reason.

"I didn't realise you put yourself about so much Clary. No wonder you didn't want to be a one-man woman." I pulled my face, but stayed relaxed. "Jace, Simon, Jordan. The list goes on and on really, doesn't it?" I could tell where he was going with this. He was trying to get me to respond and deny it, to make himself feel better. To rid himself of insecurities. If he wanted to play games, I was more than happy to play along.

"What can I say?" I shrugged.

"Your brother is an interesting guy." Sebastian started on his next topic.

"Pretty cool guy isn't he?" I continued on, playing uninterested.

"Why did you never dress like this for me, Clary?" Sebastian went back to his old faithful, making me feel self-conscious. He was standing closer to me now. I shrugged again. _Hurry up Simon._ He traced his index finger down my arm from shoulder to wrist. "You should smile more Clary, you look outstanding when you smile."

"Maybe I'd smile if you left me alone." I retorted, putting my jacket back on so that less of my skin was on show.

"You don't mean that though, not really."

"Why is it that you get to decide what it is that I mean? Did I somehow give you consent to try and rape me whilst I was asleep? Or did you just decide that it's what I wanted?" I muttered, under my breath.

"Clary, Clary. You really need to drop this rape story, it didn't happen."

"It was going to Sebastian. If your mum hadn't have come home, it was going too." He was shaking his head.

"We were just messing about Clary!"

"There was no 'we' about it. You had me held down and I said no. That's not messing about."

"I'll make it up to you Clary."

"I don't want you to make it up to me, I want you to leave me alone!" I hissed.

"I don't believe you." Sebastian shrugged, as Jordan and Simon were back upon us.

"Simon was just admiring my tattoos Seb, I was just telling him about yours." Jordan said, and I shot Sebastian a look. Since when did he have tattoos? Sebastian lowered his shirt, a tattoo of a blazing eye adorning his chest right on top of his heart. I recognised it almost immediately. It was my work. He had my work tattooed on him. That made me feel strangely uncomfortable.

"It's a little memento of something I lost a while ago and my determination to get it back." Sebastian said, clearly thinking he was being ambiguous. Completely out of character, Simon launched himself at him, smashing Sebastian's back into the claw machine. Sebastian threw Simon back with ease, and Simon went to launch himself a second time. I grabbed his arm, pulling him over to where I stood, giving him a look. Jordan was looking between them, confusion on his face.

"Ugh, I think we're gonna head off." Jordan said, looking at Sebastian.

"Probably for the best. See you on Friday Clary." Sebastian smiled, barging past Simon on his way out.

"You know I'm not an angry person, but I could have killed him there Clary." Simon was muttering as we walked outside.

"It would have been a dark day if we'd beaten the claw machine and got banned from the arcade in the same day Si." I smiled, trying to lighten the situation.

"That was your sketch on his chest wasn't it? I've seen you draw it before."

"I'll just have to make a note to never draw it again."

"It's a bit creepy really isn't it?"

"That's Sebastian's thing though isn't it – Mr Creepy."

"What kind of weird person gets out a relationship and then is like 'I've got a wooooonderful idea' and then gets a tattoo of some of their ex's artwork. How long did you say you guys say you were together?"

"Not long enough for him to get a tattoo that's for sure." I laughed.

"On a serious note, do you not think it's worth telling Jon at least?" I shook my head.

"I can't. He could tell my parents."

"But Clary, you weren't here when it was just Sebastian and Jon. It was just weird. Jon would never be able to forgive himself if he made friends or was nice to this guy and then he found out about it. You really need to tell him sooner rather than later."

"I'll think about it. I will honestly." I promised. Simon had a point but part of me still didn't want Jon to find out about this. It might change things.

"I'll go check and see if they're done, it's getting quite late." Simon said, walking into the building. I hung about outside, getting some fresh air. It surprised me that it was Jace who came outside next, not Simon.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Jace asked immediately.

"Simon went in looking for you guys, what are you doing out here?"

"I came looking for you guys. Where's Jordan and dickhead?"

"They went home. Are you busy tomorrow?"

"Is this to talk about earlier?" Jace asked, looking back at the door anxiously.

"Yes, and something else as well." Jace was just about to ask what when the door opened and Simon and co walked out. On the walk to the car, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

 **Jace: Tomorrow it is. We'll talk details later.**

 **Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and reviewing! All of my love, until the next time! ~Sapph**


	16. Chapter 16

Jace dropped Jon and I at our house, and I was relatively surprised that he didn't come in. Maybe because he had Simon and Isabelle with him as well.

"So what do you think of that Sebastian and Jordan then? I didn't realise Isabelle had invited them." Jon said as we walked through the door. I shrugged.

"I'm not sure, I didn't really spend much time with them."

"I think they're alright guys actually." Jon said. "Did you not get to know them in your class?"

"Bits and pieces, but not properly." I tried to avoid the subject.

"We'll have to invite them along again sometime." Jon said and I nodded lightly. Simon was right. I was going to have to tell him. But I needed to talk to Jace about it first. As Jon's best friend, he would be able to give me advice on how best to approach it.

Making my way upstairs, I pulled out my phone.

 **Jace: Tomorrow then?**

 **Clary: I'm free anytime**

 **Jace: After school, I'll pick you up from Java Jones, seeing as you're so fond of the place.**

 **Clary: Very kind of you. Do you not just want to go to Java's?**

 **Jace: I don't think Java's is the right place for the conversation we're wanting to have.**

 **Clary: Oh and what conversation is that?**

 **Jace: Time will tell. Java Jones after school.**

The next school day flew over without incident, mainly because we didn't have art. Simon caught me as I was leaving the school.

"Clary, why the rush?" He asked, holding his side, out of breath.

"Oh, I'm meeting someone." I said, vaguely.

"Not Sebastian?!" Simon shouted, making a couple in front of us turn around.

"Shh! Keep your voice down. No, I'm not meeting Sebastian." I muttered but Simon was looking at me questionably. "I'm meeting Jace ok. Jace."

"Jace? Why?" I couldn't tell Simon about the 'me and Jace' of recent. Not yet.

"Because I think you're right Simon. I think I need to tell Jon about all of this. Jace is his best friend so I want to test the water." Simon seemed appeased by what I said.

"Where are you meeting him?" He asked as we walked along.

"Java Jones, and then going elsewhere. It's a bit of a delicate topic as you know."

"Let me walk you there." He said. "Just in case a wild creep appears."

"It's a good job you're funny."

"It's just one of my many talents Clarissa, one of many." I linked his arm as we walked through the city. Jace was already waiting when we got to Java's. _Was he always on time like this?_ "Be careful okay Clary. Text me if you need me." Simon gave me a quick hug before I headed towards Jace in his car.

"It feels strange getting in this car just the two of us." I laughed, buckling myself in.

"Whys that? Because last time we were in the car alone you attacked me without mercy?" Jace grinned at me,

"You have a strange way of reacting to being attacked if that's the case."

"What can I say? When I'm attacked, I attack back." He shrugged. "What is it you were wanting to talk about anyway? The thing I don't already know about that is?"

"Well. I was wanting your opinion on something."

"Go ahead."

"I think I should tell Jon about Sebastian." I said quietly.

"I don't think I quite heard that right. For a second I thought you said you were going to tell Jon about Sebastian." I looked at him annoyed. "You can't be serious Red?"

"I can't let it go on like it is. He was talking yesterday about arranging something with Sebastian and Jordan again. What if they become friends and then he finds out? He'd never forgive me for not telling him."

"Wouldn't it be better to just sort of tell him a rumour about Sebastian that would make him keep his distance?"

"I don't think so. Anyway – weren't you all for telling Jon at one point?"

"I never actually meant it though." Jace shook his head. "You'd have to seriously weigh up the repercussions."

"And what are those?" I asked.

"The fact that if you told Jon everything, he'd likely kill Sebastian. You're going to have to play it very clever."

"You're exaggerating."

"I'm not Red. If you're going to do it, you have to make Jon realise that it's going to be worse for you if he does act upon it. That's my advice anyway, don't rush into a decision. Which leads us nicely onto our next topic." Jace looked at me expectantly.

"Can we least talk about it outside of the car, I'm having flashbacks." I joked, placing the back of my hand against my forehead in mock disarray.

"I can do better than flashbacks." Jace looked at me, an eyebrow cocked.

"Don't push your luck." I said, catching sight of where we were. "You brought us to the beach?"

"Yeah, I thought it'd be a nice place to talk." He shrugged. I had to agree with him. There weren't many people around and the weather was just about right. We walked down to the beach, right to the waterline before walking along it.

"What do you want from me Red?" Jace asked, taking me aback.

"I haven't really thought about it." I admitted.

"Now's your chance too."

"Do you know what you want from me?" I asked.

"I'm not sure." Jace furrowed his brow. "But we need to make a decision about it, we can't just keep going like we are."

"See I thought it was quite fun." I smiled.

"I'm trying to be serious, Red." His eyes pleaded with me.

"Then tell me what you want." Jace turned to face me, his face serious.

"I want you. All of you. Sometimes so much that it pains me. Sometimes so much that I have to distance myself from you because I'm scared of what might happen. Sometimes so much that I resign myself to the fact that we can't be together because I don't know how I'd be. Relationships aren't exactly my forte." Jace's voice was lower than usual.

"Relationships aren't your forte?" I asked, kneading my hands together.

"Well its 'unexplored territory' shall we say."

"But what about that girl the other week?" I queried. Jace looked suddenly uncomfortable, laughing nervously.

"There's a difference between relationships and – uh – that." He settled on and I knew all too well what he meant.

"Ah." I said. "Well nobody is saying we have to go the relationship route."

"So what is it you're proposing?" He asked.

"Well, I don't think we should rush into a relationship especially considering your inexperience and my…previous experiences. I think we should date."

"Date? Isn't that the same as a relationship?"

"Well not really, it just means we see more of each other, just the two of us and try and figure out what it is we want for sure." I shrugged. "Because I don't think I'm ready to give this up."

"I think that's something we can agree on." Jace said with a grin. "I just don't want to hurt you Clary, and I hurt people too easily." I laughed.

"Jace. You can't hurt me anymore than I already have been."

"I don't want to add to that."

"That's my decision Jace. I'll take the risk." Jace still looked unsure, his brow furrowed. "Take the plunge."

"I'm not sure Clary. What about your brother, my sister?"

"Questions for another day. I'm asking you to date me, not marry me."

"Somehow I think your brother would prefer the latter…"

"Can we stop talking about Jon? Talk about yourself Jace, do you want this?" We'd reached the end of the beach, and stopped walking, ready to turn back around.

"I've told you I want this but-"

"No buts."

"Are you sure?"

"I've never been surer."

"Will we tell people we're dating?"

"No. We'll only approach that if we decide to take it further."

"Only if you're sure."

"Stop asking me if I'm sure and kiss me, goddamnit!" I growled, prompting a grin from Jace.

"Are you sure?" He smirked and I thumped him in the chest. His hand clasped around my own as I went to turn, pulling me back into him. "Just kidding." He laughed moments before his lips gently came together with mine, his hand still holding mine firmly against his chest. The kiss was different to the last, gentle and sweet which I didn't think Jace was capable of. The walk back to the car was filled with these sweet little kisses, which were nice but left me hungry for more. Getting into the car, Jace leant over to kiss me once more, but this time I was ready for him. As his lips touched mine, I put my hand in his hair, keeping a firm grip. Jace smiled against my lips, one of his hands keeping him upright, the other stroking my hair. I bit his bottom lip lightly, smirking, Jace finally pulled away from me.

"You're asking for trouble, Red." He threatened.

"I quite like the sound of that." I laughed and he shook his head, laughing.

"All in good time, Red. Buckle up." I pouted, before putting my seatbelt on.

I kissed Jace goodbye as he dropped me at the corner of the road, agreeing that we would talk about a date for this weekend.

My mission when I got into the house was to find Jon. I knew I had to tell him because as much of a nightmare as it was telling him, it would be more of a nightmare if he became friends with Sebastian.

"Jon?" I shouted as I walked in the door.

"Up here." I checked the kitchen and the living room to make sure Mum and Dad weren't home before I ran upstairs into Jon's room. I knocked on the door, and was quickly beckoned inside. "Sup C?" I sat on the side of his bed, feeling anxious. He was playing on his games console, but quickly turned it off once I sat down. "Clary?" He sat himself up so that he was sat next to me, looking at me concerned.

"I need to tell you something." I managed. "It's important."

"You're worrying me here C." Jon said, trying to laugh it off. His laughter quickly died down when he caught sight of the look on my face.

"Well, I had a boyfriend before I came here as well you know."

"Is this the one you've been having issues with? The whole break up and everything?" I nodded.

"Yeah, that's not the whole story. Well, the breakup wasn't mutual. On his part." I tried to word it best I could.

"Ok…" Jon looked confused.

"Well he didn't take it well and it's become quite an issue so, that's why I've been acting odd lately."

"You're being very vague here Clary. What do you mean the breakup wasn't mutual? You finished it with him?" I nodded. "I'm assuming you had good reason to finish it?" I nodded again, a stray tear falling down my cheek. Jon looked at me seriously. "What was that reason?"

"He wasn't the person I thought he was." I tried to hold back my tears. Jon placed his arm around my shoulder. "If I tell you Jon, you can't tell Mum or Dad. You can't."

"Clary, what is it? I promise, I'll keep it between us."

"He hurt me Jon. More than once. I thought he would stop but he never did, he just got worse." The tears were streaming now, any control I had long gone.

"He laid hands on you?" I could feel him tense up next to me, his body rigid. I nodded, burying my face into his shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me Clary? I would have made him pay for each and every time!"

"That's why I couldn't tell you Jon. You can't hurt him, not because I care for him but because I care for you. Don't get into trouble for him." Jon looked at me puzzled.

"You're talking like hurting him is still an option. What am I missing here?"

"I said he didn't take it well. He's been messaging me and calling me frequently…"

"Like when Jace picked up your phone…that was him." Jon cut over me. I nodded.

"I only realised about a week ago how serious he was about getting back together."

"I'm not following." Jon looked confused, his body language still tense.

"He came to New York but you can't go talk to him Jon, promise me you won't."

"Who is it Clary?"

"Jon, please. You have to promise."

"Tell me who it is."

"Jon, promise." Jon looked at me, his face full of anger, his eyes trained in on mine. "It's Sebastian."

"Sebastian who was at bowling today?" I nodded and Jon hugged me against him tightly. "Why didn't you say something sooner? I can't believe I spoke to that piece of shit. I can't believe I laughed with him!"

"I know Jon, I'm sorry it was because I was scared of what you'd do, don't get yourself into trouble for me."

"I won't get into trouble, but I am going to talk to him."

"Jon."

"I have to talk to him Clary. He can't think that it's acceptable to get away with this. I won't hurt him though, I promise. I'll take Jace with me, he'll keep me grounded but I promise you I won't hurt him. Regardless of how much I want too."

I wasn't filled with hope. Jace and Jon on their own with Sebastian? It sounded like a recipe for disaster.

 **Thank you to everyone who takes their time to read and review, you make writing this story so worthwhile and I'm thankful for each and everyone one of you! All of my love, until the next time. ~Sapph**


	17. Chapter 17

**I would just like to apologise for the delay of this chapter. I haven't been well the last few days and every time I've tried to sit down with it, it just wasn't coming out right. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and hopefully my updates can become regular once more (:**

Jon sat with me until it got late, no games, no phones – just talking. I spilled my soul, everything that was bothering me other than that one sore topic. Jon stroked my hair and played the role of a big brother perfectly, making me wonder why I hadn't told him sooner.

"I'm going to go and get some sleep now, thanks for listening to me whine Jon." I smiled, hopping off of his bed lightly.

"You sure you're alright? Don't thank me Clary, it's the least I can do."

"I'm fine, I feel better for telling you."

"And it makes me feel better that you could tell me." Jon smiled, getting to his feet and opening the door. "Just knock if you need me during the night, okay? Any time."

"Thanks Jon." I said, heading off to bed. As soon as I stepped over the threshold, my phone vibrated in my pocket, twice. Maybe I'd had bad signal in Jon's room? Laying down on my bed, I examined it. The first one churned my stomach.

 **Sebastian: Sleep tight, angel.**

I deleted it, flicking open the next.

 **Jace: Can I call you?**

My stomach churned again, this time different. I felt strange, I never really spoke on the phone. Shrugging, I decided _what the hell._

 **Clary: Go for it. I'm still up.**

The five minutes it took for Jace to actually call me were agonising.

"Hi." I said quietly, holding the phone to my ear.

"Hey Red. I'm guessing you told Jon?" I nodded before remembering that he couldn't see me.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"He text me."

"Oh?"

"He wants me to go with him tomorrow, to see Sebastian." Jace sounded curious.

"I know. He told me. You don't think it's a good idea do you?"

"Well, I think it's happening quite quickly. I think he ought to wait until it's not as raw. I think he should wait until he can deal with it level-headedly."

"That's why he's taking you with him."

"I thought you would know by now that I'm not the best person for keeping myself level-headed, let alone others."

"Will you try for me?"

"You're really pushing your luck here, Red." I held my breath but he laughed lightly. "Yes, I will try. Just this once though."

 **Jace POV**

"You ready?" Jon climbed into my car bright and early. I caught sight of Clary in her bedroom window, watching quietly, probably reminding me of the promise I'd made to keep my cool.

"Ready as I'll ever be. You sure you want to do this?" I asked as Jon buckled himself in. He nodded, eyes facing forward.

"Of course I am. He hurt her Jace, imagine if someone did that to Isabelle."

"You're right. I couldn't imagine it." I could imagine it though because it had happened to Clary. "You know I've got your back right?"

"Clary gave me his number this morning, reluctantly. I've sent him a text pretending to be Clary and asking him to meet us in the park. He sent a crude text back so I'm pretty sure he's fallen for it." I turned the car on, getting ready to head off. _Something crude. Never mind holding Jon back it was going to take everything I had to hold myself back._

Sebastian was waiting for us when we got to the park, standing in the shadows. He was dressed in some paint splattered pants – _is that what he thought Clary went for?_ Jon tensed up next to me, before unbuckling his seatbelt and trying to open the car door in one swift motion.

"Woah there cowboy." I grabbed a firm grip of his shoulder, holding him back against the car seat. "Take a breath and count to five after everything he says, don't let him push your buttons." Jon was nodding but I wasn't really sure that he was listening to what I was saying to him. Once I was unbuckled myself, we headed over towards where Sebastian was stood. Jon skirted along the trees, making sure that we would come up behind him, rather than coming face to face. The park was relatively quiet, most people probably either at school or work. Once we were within reach of Sebastian, Jon paused momentarily. It all happened quite quickly. He lunged forward, dragging Sebastian back towards the trees by his shirt, before releasing him and stepping back. Sebastian had a smile on his face, his eyebrows raised.

"Jon! This is a surprise." Sebastian said, trying to play it cool.

"This week has been full of surprises." Jon growled back through gritted teeth.

"Something bothering you?" Sebastian asked, a look of knowing already gracing his face.

"Drop the act. He knows about you and Clary." I jumped in, Sebastian turned to face me immediately, a smile on his face but hate in his eyes.

"Does he know about _you_ and Clary though?" He smirked. I could feel my heart thumping loudly in my chest. I really wanted to just punch the smug look off of his face. Thankfully Jon ignored his comment.

"I'm giving you one chance to explain yourself." Jon had his hands firmly planted at his sides, probably to remove any temptation of beating Sebastian to a pulp.

"You want the ins and outs of our relationship? I didn't realise you were into that shit." Sebastian laughed and I just say caught a grip on Jon's shirt as he went to lunge at Sebastian. Sebastian recoiled laughing. "What do you want to know Jon? You want me to admit to hitting your sister? I never hit her. Not properly. Yeah, I shook her a few times, maybe grabbed her a few times – but you have to do that with women. Especially women as rebellious as your sister. She agreed to be my girlfriend, so she agreed to those things. Maybe you need to have a word with her about it, clearly violent men are her type. But are you surprised? She's clearly been surrounded by it all of her life." He laughed again as Jon lunged once more.

"I swear if I ever see you around her again, it'll not just be your legs that I break." Jon hissed as Sebastian just laughed.

"Needless to say this feels like a wasted morning. Here I was thinking I was going to get a little action in the park, this wasn't what I had in mind. If you guys don't mind, I think I'll be off." Sebastian smirked again, taking pleasure in his smart comments. Against my better judgement, I let Jon's shirt slip from my fingers as Sebastian made to leave and he was off like a bullet. I could only let him get one good punch in, that'd look believable. He made up the distance between Sebastian and himself in mere moment, spinning him quickly around before pounding his fist directly into his face. On cue, I dragged Jon back. Sebastian was stood, holding his bloody nose, his eyes blackening already. A grin spread on his face as he wiped the blood from his face.

"As I said, she's surrounded by violent men. Where's the harm in one more?" I continued to hold Jon back as Sebastian walked off, only letting Jon go once he was out of sight.

"Do you feel any better after that?" I asked, rubbing my palm with my other hand, holding him back had taken a lot of effort.

"Not really." He grunted. "I don't think I'll feel better until he's out of this city." We walked back to the car in silence. "What did he mean about you and Clary?" Jon piped up as we were driving back towards his place. I shook my head.

"Probably trying to wind you up. He's all talk." I dodged the comment. Jon seemed appeased by it. Jon's parents were out when we got back and we headed straight into the living room to vent some anger on some football game.

 **Clary's POV**

I'd woken up feeling horrible. I wasn't sure if it was because I was worried about what might have happened with Jon but I decided that the worst place for me to be right now was school. Sending Simon a message, I told him I wouldn't be coming in today because I'd been throwing up. I lay in bed looking up at the ceiling for a while before I decided I should probably try and make myself feel better. Grabbing my sketchbook and some pencils, I headed off into the kitchen, setting myself up at the breakfast bar. I drew anything that came to mind. The front door opened about half an hour later and I didn't even realise, only realising people were in the house when I heard voices coming from the living room. I crept into the hallway, listening along from the doorway.

"I'm telling you, if I ever seen him again, it'll be the last thing he sees." Jon shouted before listing off expletives in relation to Sebastian.

"I think we need to keep our distance. It's not going to do Clary any good if you get locked up for hitting him."

"It was a good shot though." I could hear the smile in Jon's voice. I rounded the doorway, standing in it.

"You hit him? You said you wouldn't." I blurted out, both Jon and Jace turned to look at me.

"I couldn't help it Clary. I was just so mad. It was only the once."

"He was baiting him Clary. I tried to hold Jon back but he slipped out of my grip. He only hit him the once."

"Just the once." Jon reaffirmed and I nodded.

"I'm going to go and have a bath." I muttered, heading up the stairs, rejecting their offers to play whatever game it was they were playing. As I sunk in amongst the warm water, I questioned myself. What had I expected when Jon had come up against Sebastian? Had I expected everything to change? Had I expected myself to feel different? If anything I felt worse. I was glad that Jon knew but I was worried sick about what would happen. I knew Sebastian too well. He was constantly baiting people, constantly picking them apart to get a reaction and now he had leverage on Jon. Sinking under the water, I closed my eyes, thinking. I pulled myself out of the water quickly when I heard loud banging on the door. Grabbing a towel from the rack, I wrapped it around myself, answering the frantic knocking on the door.

"Yes?" I asked, faced with Jon on the other side. His face was red, his brow furrowed.

"What are you doing in there?" He asked, trying to peer around me.

"I'm having a bath, I told you." I was confused now.

"I knocked and you didn't answer."

"I had my head under the water."

"Why?" He was panicked again.

"Because I was thinking…" I trailed off. What had he thought? That I was trying to off myself in the bathroom? "I'm not trying to kill myself if that's what you're thinking I'm just having a bath." Jon nodded, releasing the tension from his face. I had to stop this. "I know that you're concerned Jon and I really appreciate it but you have to give me room to breathe. I'm not going to kill myself I promise. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Can you please just trust me?" I asked and Jon nodded.

"I'm sorry Clary. I'm just trying to help."

"I know you are. But I'm just trying to have a bath nothing more. If I'm ever feeling like that, you'll be the first person I come too, okay?" That seemed to calm him down as he headed out of my room and back downstairs. I closed the door, dropped my towel and got back into the bath, refreshing the hot water. I felt strangely cold. That cold that no matter how much I refilled the hot water, the heat just wasn't touching me, unable to warm me up. When I got out of the bath however, my skin was as red as my hair. Sitting on my bed, I realised Jon had brought my sketchbook up with him. Flipping to the page that I'd been working on downstairs, I recognised immediately why he'd been so worried. I'd drawn a girl on the page with a large shadow. She was curled up in the corner of the page, the shadow extending up the wall behind her and over the top of her face. It looked eerie and made me feel uncomfortable looking at it. I flicked my phone open to distract myself, a few messages adorning the screen.

 **Simon: Hope you're alright Clary. Isabelle and I got your workload between us, you should be able to catch up with it over the weekend though! Let me know if you need anything!**

 **Sebastian: Nice little game you played on me today. Your brother is lucky that I'm not the type to press charges, mainly because I don't want to miss out on seeing your face on Monday.**

 **Jace: Should I take it as an insult that you're trying to kill yourself before our date Saturday? Is that a subtle hint?**

I didn't reply to any of them, changing into my pyjamas and getting back into bed, sleep coming fast.

 **Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews, you make my day that little bit brighter (:! All of my love, until the next time (which is quickly upon us!) ~Sapph**


	18. Chapter 18

**If you like a bit of Clace, you've come to the right place!**

Saturday came quickly and nothing had been planned. I rose from my bed early, my mood having picked up over the last few days as I cast Sebastian further from my mind. I decided to get myself ready just in case Jace messaged me today asking what we were doing. I wasn't sure how to dress. Dating wasn't something that I made a habit of doing or that I professed to be knowledgeable in. Should I wear a dress? No, Jace didn't strike me as the dress type. Plus it was starting to get cold out. Flicking through my wardrobe, I came across those high-waisted jeans that I had worn ice-skating that he'd admitted to liking. After fishing around some more, I came across a long sleeved grey crop top which I'd bought a few weeks before moving back to New York. Pairing it together with my leather jacket, I was quite impressed. I tied my hair back loosely, letting the front of it hang down to frame my face. Just as I was doing up the buttons on my jeans, my phone vibrated on the bed. I pounced on it like a lion on its prey.

 **Jace: So what are we doing for this date then?**

I decided to play it cool and aggravate Jace a little bit.

 **Clary: You tell me.**

 **Jace: We won't do anything then.**

I bit my lip, but kept up with my resolve.

 **Clary: Ok, see you Monday.**

 **Jace: My poor heart can't take this rejection. Fine, I'll decide. I'll meet you at that corner in an hour. Or do you need longer?**

 **Clary: An hour is fine. See you then.**

 **Jace: You're not giving much away are you? See you then.**

It made me feel better to tease Jace like this, I liked to keep him on his toes. I played around with my makeup, not straying too far from my usual style but giving it a little uplift. I spent the next forty minutes playing around with my hair, still unsure about it. True to form, as I was leaving my room, I bumped right into Jon. He looked me up and down, curiously.

"Off somewhere nice?" He queried. I shrugged.

"Just having a look out with someone from school." I smiled. Jon looked at me unsure. "Remember that thing I said about trust?" I added, smiling. He sighed, smiling also.

"Fine. I'll trust you. Come have a chat with me when you get back though, okay?"

"Okay, see you later." I smiled, heading down the stairs. I threw on some chunky black wedges, before grabbing my purse. I walked to the corner, watching my back the entire time just in case Jon had decided to follow me out. For once Jace wasn't there waiting. I frowned and kept my eyes trained on my house down the road. About 5 minutes later, Jace pulled up in his car, slowly. He wound his window down, looking over at me.

"Looking for a good time?" He asked, looking me over. I rolled my eyes at him, grabbing his car door and opening it. As I sat down, he was sat smirking to himself. "I'll take that as a yes." I punched him in the shoulder laughing.

"Hopefully we'll have a good time – not in that way before you start! What have you got planned, something good I hope?"

"I have something wonderful planned. It has no parallel." He smiled craftily. I furrowed my brow, looking ahead. What was he up too?

"Am I dressed accordingly?" I asked, looking at Jace. He didn't look over at me when he spoke.

"Yup, dressed fine."

"You didn't even look."

"I looked at you before you got in the car."

"So you checked me out then?"

"When you're dressed like that Clary, you're asking for people to check you out." I pulled my face at him before taking a look at what he was wearing. He had a pair of dark jeans on, and a skin tight vest shirt that hung low, his trademark leather jacket over the top. As we were driving, I started to notice similar places, but I couldn't place where I'd seen them last. I soon got my answer and my worst fears were confirmed. Jace pulled up in the car park of the ice rink and I looked at him confused.

"Is this a joke?" I questioned.

"No, not a joke." He laughed, unbuckling himself.

"I don't get it. This isn't fun." I crossed my arms in a strop.

"Well I felt as though last time you didn't get to experience everything this place has to offer. Now you're a bit more relaxed and you trust me a little bit more, I think you'd enjoy it a little bit more."

"I'm not sure." I frowned, I was really scared.

"Try it – for me?" Jace battered his eyelashes mockingly. He was using my words against me. Sighing, I unbuckled myself and opened the car door.

"If I fall and die, I don't know how you'll explain it to Jon."

"I have a few ideas." He smirked as we walked towards the rink. I would have shoved him but I needed to keep him on side just in case I did fall. Getting onto the ice for the second time was somehow more daunting than the first. Jace was in front of me, holding my hands and guiding me onto the ice. It still frustrated me that he could skate better backwards than I could forwards. He was patient with me though and for that I was thankful. He let me put my arm into the crook of his elbow as he propelled me across the ice. It felt good.

"See, I told you that you'd enjoy yourself." He smirked as we lapped the rink.

"Did I say I was enjoying myself?" I smirked back, holding onto his arm as we rounded a corner.

"Your smile is a little bit of a giveaway." He indicated and I could feel myself blushing. "It's nice to see though." As we went around the ice rink we talked here and there and I could feel my confidence rising. I let go of my firm grip on his elbow, instead holding his wrist. He looked at me surprised but I just smiled, sliding across the ice with ease. Just as I was starting to feel like I'd cracked it, Jace let my hand slide down his wrist so that my hand was intertwined with his and I tripped lightly on the ice. He held me firm and I regained my balance. "Falling for me are you?" Jace smiled and I was haltered in my thoughts for a moment before I realised what he was talking about.

"Very funny. Less of the jokes, more focussing on keeping me alive."

"You're doing well Clary. Don't put yourself down." Jace said firmly.

When we got off the ice, I felt a lot better about ice-skating.

"So, was I right?" Jace asked as we walked back to the car.

"About what?"

"Ice-skating. Do you like it?"

"I wouldn't go as far to say like. Am I less afraid of it? Yes."

"Mission accomplished then." Jace smiled, opening my car door for me. I climbed in, getting myself settled. Jace was quick to join me in the car, setting the engine away.

"Well, that was a nice date. Who knew you had it in you?" I teased, and Jace shot me a look.

"Well it wasn't over yet, but if you want to go home then…" He trailed off dramatically.

"No, no. I'm good to stay out." I backtracked right into Jace's hands.

"On that note then." He pulled out of the car park and headed in the opposite direction to where we lived. We pulled up at a restaurant about 20 minutes later. I cocked an eyebrow as he pulled the car up outside.

"Uh – are we at the right place?" I asked, laughing.

"I have to admit this is a new experience for me as well." Jace admitted. "Alec recommended it." The restaurant looked really fancy and really out of my price range. Jace must have picked up on my fidgeting. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to afford this, I didn't really bring a lot with me." I admitted. Jace laughed.

"I'm paying silly."

"I don't feel comfortable with that. I mean, you shouldn't have to pay for me."

"Well how about you put whatever it is you have too it, and I'll make up the rest. Fair?" I agreed, knowing inside that I would just pick the cheaper things on the menu. The restaurant was beautiful on the inside, a lovely shade of purple. The waiters were all dressed to the nines and I couldn't help but feel underdressed. Jace was the epitome of cool as he stood at the front desk. We were quickly seen too once Jace said we had a reservation. _He really had pushed the boat out._ The waiter led us over to a booth near the rear of the restaurant, the lighting dim. Jace let me slide into the booth first, before sliding in next to me.

"You alright?" He asked, as he looked over the menu. I nodded.

"Fine thanks." I smiled, taking off my jacket. In honesty I was just surprised, I'd never been to a restaurant like this before, except with my parents. Jace handed me a menu and I glanced it over. I was relieved to see that it wasn't as expensive as I was first anticipating and did quite a few pasta options. I perked up a little bit. "I just feel a little bit underdressed." I laughed, playing with my hair.

"You look great Clary honestly. You look really good." Jace said honestly. "Do you know what you want and I'll order?" I told him and he beckoned a waiter over, telling him what we wanted. I rubbed my arms starting to feel slightly awkward. "Are you cold?" He asked, touching my shoulder. I flinched slightly, before turning to smile at him.

"No, I'm fine." I smiled, folding my hands in my lap.

"I don't want you to feel frightened around me Clary. I'm not going to hurt you. I know it must be hard being touched and stuff, but honestly I won't hurt you I promise. May I?" He asked, his hand centimetres from my shoulder. I was fine with being touched, it was just when it was against my bare skin. It made me flinch. It made me feel like I wanted to be sick. But Rome wasn't built in a day and this wasn't going to change if I didn't make small steps towards it. I nodded and Jace placed his hand around my shoulder. As quickly as the uncomfortableness washed over me, it changed into something else entirely. Butterflies were chasing each other around my stomach, diving into each other and making me feel nervous. His fingertips brushed lightly against my shoulder, his thumb tracing circles and patterns. When the waiter arrived with our drinks, he didn't budge, his arm still firmly on my shoulder. While we were waiting for our food, he turned me to face him. "Thank you for that." He said, his hands finding mine in his lap, he held them in his own, tracing patterns once more. He dropped my hands once the food arrived. He'd ordered the same as I had,

"Copying are we?" I asked, picking up my fork. Jace shrugged.

"Well I didn't know what I wanted so I stole your idea." He laughed. We talked a little while we ate. The pasta was really filling and I didn't think I had any room at all for a dessert, but Jace asked for the dessert menu. "What would you like?"

"Honestly Jace I'm fine-"I started but he gave me a look.

"I am not coming to a fancy restaurant and not getting a dessert. So pick one. Look they have sharing options." I wasn't going to win this one that much was clear. So I picked out a dessert based on the chocolate cake that he'd picked at the milkshake bar knowing that he would chance to eat most of it. When it came it was spectacular, filled with all sorts of goodies all in a large domed shaped glass. Jace handed me a spoon before digging in himself. I skirted around the edges of the bowl, eating the odd bit of ice cream here and there. Jace looked at me as he was fishing out a brownie, laughing. I looked at him curiously, my spoon also in the bowl.

"What? What's funny?" I asked, feeling self-conscious. He didn't answer, he just reached out wiping the top of my lip with his thumb. I could feel myself blushing under his touch which clearly satisfied him. "Oh thanks." I muttered.

I felt considerably fatter after I'd left the restaurant, my jeans suddenly feeling like a bad idea. Sitting in the car, I shuffled around to get comfortable. Jace drove us back to the beach where we'd went last time.

"Another favourite spot of yours?" I asked as we pulled up in the car park overlooking the beach. He looked slightly uncomfortable.

"My mum used to bring me here." He said staring off across the skyline.

"Oh. I'm sorry." I muttered, looking down.

"Don't be. It's a good place for me. It reminds me of good times." Jace tipped my chin up so that I was also looking out at the sea. I'd not really appreciated the full beauty of this place the first time that we'd came here, my mind overtaken with other things. "I have to be honest with you Red, I didn't think this whole dating thing was going to be up my street at first." I listened carefully.

"Oh?" I was aware that my voice sounded worried.

"But after today, I've changed my mind. I've really enjoyed myself and I've really enjoyed having fun with you." He smiled and I noticed his hand was still on my chin, stroking my cheek lightly. I started to blush furiously.

"I've enjoyed myself as well." I smiled, timidly. He leant over, kissing my gently on the cheek, the nose and then my lips. As he was about to pull back, my hands flew into his hair, pulling him back towards me. His face burst into a smile against my lips as his hand reached up to find my hairtie, and letting my hair fall down to frame my face.

"This was the only thing I would have changed. You should wear it down more often." He said, running his hand through my hair.

"What? So you can call me 'Red' all of the time?" I laughed, wrapping my hair tie around my wrist.

"Well there's that. But it means I can do this." His hands stuck fast in my hair, bringing my face towards his. His hands used my hair to turn my face so that he could kiss me deeper, taking my breath away. I reached my hands out, pressing them firmly against his chest feeling his heart pounding beneath my palms. His hands started to peel my leather jacket back and I could feel myself tensing up. "Trust. Me." He muttered against my lips between kisses. I allowed him to take my jacket off, his hands running up and down my shoulders as he kissed me passionately. His hand wrapped around my back, my hands finding themselves wrapped around his neck. We forgot about the uncomfortableness of the car. We forgot that people could see if they were walking past. It was only me, Jace and this moment. When we came up for air, I felt as though I'd been underwater, I was practically gasping.

"I could get used to that." I smiled, sitting back in my seat. Jace was laughing, as he brushed his hair out of his face.

"There's plenty more where that came from if you play your cards right." He winked and I laughed.

We talked the whole way home and I fought the temptation to kiss him some more as he was driving and I didn't think that was a suitable excuse to crash the car. He pulled up to that corner way too quickly. I frowned and pouted.

"You got here too quickly." I said, gathering up my bag and coat. Jace laughed, sitting back in his seat.

"We have all the time in the world Clary. But I'm sure I can give you something for the road." He leant forward, enveloping my lips with his own, biting my bottom lip teasingly before tugging it gently. I sunk into the kiss but again it was over too quickly. I sighed as I got out of the car, shutting the door behind me.

"Text me?" Jace smiled, winding the window down.

"Text me first." I laughed, walking back towards the house.

"So demanding, Red." He winked before winding his window back up and driving off. I headed into the house, feeling like I'd come back to earth with a loud bang. I liked planet Jace and I liked my time there. I wanted to go back. Right now. As promised as soon as I was home, I went up to see Jon. I knocked on his door lightly and he was quick to answer it.

"Good day?" Jon asked me as I headed into his room.

"It was alright." I shrugged. It hadn't been alright, it had been amazing. But I couldn't tell Jon that, then he would ask questions.

"I wanted to talk to you about yesterday, about the bath thing." He looked awkward which wasn't a usual thing for Jon.

"What about it?" I asked, taking off my jacket.

"I feel bad for accusing you of that. I mean, I just jumped to a conclusion without thinking about how serious of a topic that is. I don't want you to feel put out Clary and I don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me, or can't trust me with things y'know?"

"If I ever felt like that Jon, you'd be the first person I would come too. I promise. I know you probably won't believe that with everything that happened with Sebastian. But it'll take more than a jumped up little 'bad boy' to make me want to kill myself." I smiled, even though we were talking about something so morbid. Jon flinched at Sebastian's name.

"I wish he'd just go back to wherever it is that he came from."

"Don't worry about it Jon. The less attention you pay him, the less power he will have and he'll just give up. He only does it because people react. If you starve him of the attention, then he'll soon quit it. I've started to work that out. I don't rise to him."

"But the idea of him seeing you every week for that stupid art project – do you not think I should say something to the school?"

"No!" I reacted immediately but quickly calmed down. "It's fine Jon. It's in a group setting so he can't even say anything to me or he risks dropping himself in it. If we keep ignoring him, then he chance to mess things up for himself because he'll do anything for a rise. We just have to wait him out."

"If you think that'll work." Jon said. I could hear the doubt in his voice though.

"Trust me." I smiled, patting the back of his hand. "Sometimes I actually know what I'm talking about." My phone vibrated in my pocket and I quickly flicked it open.

"That's not him is it?" Jon asked, peering over.

"No it's Isabelle." I said, reading over the message.

 **Isabelle: Can I please please please come to your house! I'm really losing my mind here!**

 **Clary: Uh yeah sure, what's the problem?**

 **Isabelle: I'll tell you when I get there. I know it's a big ask, but could I possibly stay the night? My parents are out of town and I have a feeling it's going to be a long night.**

 **Clary: I'm sure my mum will be cool with it. See you soon x**

Isabelle didn't take long to come over at all. I changed my pants whilst I was waiting for her, putting on a pair of jogging bottoms instead. When I answered the door, her face was red as though she'd been running.

"Did you run here?" I asked, looking down the street to make sure she hadn't been chased.

"Well, I kind of walked fast. I needed out of that house and I don't really like walking around by myself in the dark." She admitted, placing her bag at the bottom of the stairs.

"You should have said, I would have met you halfway." I smiled, leading her into the kitchen. I poured us both a drink.

"Thanks Clary." She accepted the drink. "The fast walk did me the world of good, I thought I was going to explode again."

"Why? What's the problem?" I asked, leaning on my elbows on the breakfast bar.

"Well. I bought some modrock to practice with for our art project and I put it on my hand. Well once it set, I realised I couldn't really get it off. I tried as hard as I could but it just wasn't budging. I heard Jace talking in his room so I went by and knocked on his door but he didn't answer. So I pushed the door open and it was obvious why he wasn't answering. He was in there with Lana! I mean they were just talking but he obviously hasn't listened to a word I've said about bringing her to the house! I'm so annoyed Clary, I could cry and I've still got this modrock on my hand!" She wailed, holding her hand up in the air. I quietly retrieved some scissors from the utility drawer. My day had just come back to earth with a bang. _Jace had brought Lana to his house? What about today? Had it not meant as much to him as it had to me?_

My mind full of questions, I set about releasing Isabelle's hand, trying to keep my face as neutral as possible.

 **Hope you all enjoyed this somewhat bumper chapter to make up for my lapses in updating. Reviews make my day (: All of my love, until the next time (-cough- tomorrow –cough-) ~Sapph**


	19. Chapter 19

**I deeply apologise for the delay in this chapter! I hope you can all forgive me!**

It took all of the concentration I had to try and free Isabelle from the Modrock. She hadn't layered it very well making it quite a task to cut through. Once I'd managed to get it off, I sent Jace a text as I was putting the scissors back in the utility drawer.

 **Clary: So much for texting me first!**

I decided upon keeping it light. I didn't want to launch straight in with accusations.

"Who you messaging?" Isabelle smiled, stretching her hand out.

"Uh – Simon. I thought we could make a night of it? Watch some movies maybe?" I thought on my feet and just so happened to come up with a pretty fantastic idea. Isabelle looked thrilled.

"Ooh! I hope he'll say yes." I knew he would say yes. It was Simon, any chance at being sociable he seized with both hands. Now I had to text him.

 **Clary: Hi Si! Fancy a movie night with me and Iz? Text back quickly or we might start without you.**

The text message had barely left my phone when I received a reply.

 **Simon: Are you crazy? Of course I'm game. Be over in 10. Start without me and I'll start taking names.**

"He's on his way." I muttered to Isabelle, still well aware that Jace hadn't replied yet. I cast it from my mind, he wasn't the quickest when it came to replying anyway.

"Did I hear something about movies?" Jon had appeared in the doorway, his eyes pleading.

"Uh – if you want too?" I shrugged, looking at Isabelle.

"I was meant to be going to the gym with Jace but he's bailed so I thought movies sounded like a good alternative." Jon ruffled my hair, grabbing a glass and pouring himself a drink. Isabelle rolled her eyes.

"Don't talk to me about the manwhore." She grumbled. Her words stung, I didn't want to think about this. Jon looked at her confused before she said "Lana.". Jon laughed.

"She's like a stalker that one. Jace just can't seem to shake her. You sure she didn't break into your house?" Jon laughed and I looked to Isabelle.

"I've been in all day. The only way she could have gotten in is _with_ him but nice try defending him."

Jon was about to reply when there was a knock at the door, it could only be Simon with a knock like that. I went to answer it as Jon led Isabelle towards the living room. Simon's face fell slightly when I opened the door.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking me over. I shook my head, smiling.

"Nothing's wrong – what do you mean?" I asked, leading him into the house.

"I can't put my finger on it, just have a feeling something's not right." He shrugged, patting me on the shoulder.

"I hope you brought some movies with you. You know what my family's taste is like…" I muttered before we walked through the door. He swung his backpack off, unveiling his many wonders.

"You know me Clary. I always come prepared." He winked before heading into the living room. I chanced another look at my phone but Jace hadn't replied yet. Putting it back in my pocket, I tried to cast any doubts from my mind as I headed into the living room after Simon.

 **Jace's POV**

There was a knock on the door two minutes after I'd closed it. I opened the door, half expecting to see Clary standing there, much to my disappointment it was Lana.

"Lana, now really isn't –"

"It is the time Jace. Isabelle isn't talking to me anymore, you aren't talking to me anymore. What did I do wrong?" She barged past my arm into the house.

"Lana, Isabelle is going to want to talk to you even less if you're standing in her house screaming." I said, gesturing upstairs. Lana looked like a mad woman, what had brought this on?

"I don't care anymore!" She practically shouted and I was well aware of the potential reactions this could cause. I tried not to shush her or patronise her for fear of her making more of a scene.

"Look, let's go talk about this. Clearly you have something on your mind and I'm willing to listen, okay?" I tried to appease her and she looked to settle down. I gestured for her to walk up the stairs and was thankful when we made it to my room without a hitch. Lana walked straight over to my bed, sitting herself down on it and getting comfortable. I almost saw a trace of a smile on her face. Was this what she had wanted all along? I placed myself at my desk, resting against it casually. Now that Lana was in my room, she seemed to have suddenly quietened down and I got a chance to have a good look at her. She was wearing the same clothes as that 'other' time she had been around here. "So, what is it you were wanting to talk about?" I prompted her in a hope to get her out of here as quickly as I could.

"Us Jace. I want to talk about us." She was looking at me with her head tilted and I was glad I'd chosen to keep my distance.

"Lana, I don't mean to sound patronising but I don't think there is an 'us', I'm sorry but that's just the way it is. I don't want to hurt your feelings but I don't want to lead you on either." I shrugged, I'd explained it to her in a reasonable manner, and clearly she didn't think so. Lana's face was a picture, frozen like stone.

"I don't believe that." She muttered, playing with the corner of my bedsheets.

"I'm telling you that though Lana. So you're going to have to believe it." She didn't seem to be listening to anything I was saying. She'd clearly come here with only one outcome in her head.

"That's not fair Jace. I gave you everything." She was raising her voice again. I was distracted when the door behind me was opened. Isabelle was standing there. Her face fell and she looked livid before turning on her heel and leaving. By the time I got out onto the hallway, she was down the stairs and out of the front door. I walked back into my bedroom and Lana was smiling lightly. Probably another part of her plan that had went well. Now that Isabelle had seen us together, Lana seemed to be getting herself ready to leave.

"I'll see you at school Jace." She said as she made her way to the door. I held the door, before she got to it.

"What game are you playing?" I asked, eyebrows raised. She smiled coyly.

"No games. I've told you what I want, and I always get what I want. See you later!" She chirped before slipping under my arm and out along the hallway.

This hadn't went at all how I'd wanted it too. Isabelle had seen Lana in my room and hadn't let me explain what was even happening. I needed to have a shower. All I wanted right now was to clear my head. So much for today being a good day.

 **Clary's POV**

We never actually got around to watching a film. By the time we had argued over everything down to the genre, year of release and supporting cast, my parents had come back. We were quickly ushered out of the living room and my Dad made it pretty clear that Mum had a headache and that he wanted the house as quiet as possible.

"I don't really want to go back to my house." Isabelle said as we headed upstairs into my room to grab my stuff.

"But, your parents are away right?" Simon asked.

"That makes it worse!" Isabelle sighed as I headed into the bathroom to change into something more comfortable.

"Not really, means we can take this movie night over there."

"But Jace is there."

"So?" Simon questioned and from the silence Isabelle seemed to be contemplating it. When I emerged from the bathroom in a pair of jogging bottoms and an oversized t-shirt, Isabelle looked strangely determined.

"Yeah! Why not? I'm not going to let him chase me away! Let's go to my house!" I felt oddly concerned. I didn't really want to go where Jace could potentially be with Lana, it was a situation I wasn't quite ready to deal with. I checked my phone. He still hadn't replied. I quickly packed a bag and readied myself to go.

I felt queasy on the walk over there. Simon and Isabelle were talking amongst themselves as I trudged along a few paces behind them. When we got to Isabelle's house, Simon and Isabelle had finally narrowed it down to two films. The house was deadly quiet when we stepped inside, I felt quite sick. Isabelle quickly led Simon over to the living room and I followed them anxiously. I tried telling myself to chill, tried to calm myself down but my heart was pounding in my chest, my stomach anxious with anticipation of what was to come.

Simon was setting the DVD up, Isabelle looking quite fidgety.

"I'm going to have to go and see if she's still here. I can't settle." Isabelle remarked eventually, hoisting herself up from her seat. I was thankful that she was going to go and check, and felt myself exhaling deeply when she left the room.

"What do you see in him?" Simon broke my concentration, and as I turned I saw him looking up at me from the floor.

"What? What do you mean?" I flustered, feeling myself already flushing crimson.

"Jace." He said simply.

"Simon – I don't know –"I started, trying to back myself out of this conversation before Isabelle got back.

"Clary, please. I know that's why you've been acting strange. It's him isn't it?" I nodded, "What do you see in him?" I shrugged.

"I don't know." Honestly I didn't know. There was something about him. It was like he had all of the good that Sebastian had, without any of the bad. There was something about him that made me trust him and believe that he wasn't going to hurt me. But then today had happened and suddenly I was second guessing myself. Simon was just about to open his mouth once more when Isabelle skirted back into the room. She threw herself down in her chair, her legs tucked underneath her.

"She's not here." She smiled happily. "Jace has probably given her what she wanted and sent her on her way." She mumbled under her breath. My stomach did an awkward somersault, resulting in me feeling extremely nauseous.

"Where's the bathroom?" I asked Isabelle, as Simon shot me a suspicious look.

"It's the furthest door at the end of the hallway upstairs, you can't miss it." Isabelle smiled, casting Simon a glance herself. No doubt they'd be discussing me once I'd left the room. I hesitantly walked up the stairs, trying not to make much too much noise. I wasn't sure if I wanted to see Jace or not. As I was on the brink of reaching the bathroom, a door opened behind me.

"Isabelle?" A voice rang out and I kept going for the door. "Clary?" His tone suddenly changed as he came up behind me. I turned to look around. He was dressed the same as he was last time, a towel draped around his waist. "Hey, what are you doing here?" Jace was smiling at me.

"I'm here with Isabelle." I said bluntly, I felt strange. Realisation seemed to dawn on his face. He knew that I was aware she had been here.

"I'll tell you what I told Isabelle, Clary. Lana came here by herself. She was outside when I got back from our date. I thought I at least owed it to her to tell her that I didn't see a future for me and her. I wouldn't go on a date like that with you Clary and then come home and do something like that." He looked at me dead in the eye, and I nodded lightly. I had to believe him, right now it was all I could do. "You have to believe me Clary."

"I do, don't worry about it." I said, smiling lightly heading into the bathroom. "You owe me one though."

"What – why?" He protested.

"For not texting me first." I raised my eyebrows, before heading into the bathroom. Jace nearly scared the life out of me. I was just about to close the bathroom door behind me, when his face appeared in the gap like something out of The Shining. I let go of the door in surprise, allowing Jace to grab a firm grip of it, pushing his way into the bathroom. I backed up against the sink as Jace looked at me with a wild look in his eye. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I had a chance to, his lips were on mine, his body pressing mine back into the sink. His hands were firmly planted on the sink behind me, as he deepened the kiss. His chest was pressed firmly against mine, our hearts beating in rhythm. I pulled back briefly.

"Simon and Isabelle are downstairs." I muttered between butterfly kisses. "They'll wonder where I am." Jace smirked devilishly against my lips.

"Let them come. I've got nothing to hide." His hands fell from the sink, resting on my hips as he tried to bring my body even closer to his. He kissed me lightly once more before stepping back. "Our debt is settled." He smirked, winked and then left the bathroom.

It took me a while to compose myself. Once I got downstairs, I could see Simon and Isabelle eyeing my suspiciously but I didn't care. I was back in that same zone that I'd been in earlier. I felt untouchable.

 **Thank you for taking your time to read and review this, it really does make my day. All my love, until the next time. ~Sapph**


	20. Chapter 20

Jace surprisingly kept his distance while we watched the first film. Maybe because he didn't want to antagonise Isabelle.

"I'm starving." Simon groaned once it was finished. Isabelle agreed with him.

"I think we should order pizza." Isabelle suggested. "I should probably message Jace and ask if wants anything." As she was getting her phone out, I suddenly remembered I had mine in my pocket. Surprisingly, Jace had sent me a text.

 **Jace: Think you should ditch that movie and get your arse back up here.**

 **Clary: You have a way with words, Romeo.**

 **Jace: Hmm you're right. I'm so much better with actions, come up here and I'll show you.**

 **Clary: Stop it!**

 **Jace: You stop being boring.**

 **Jace: Oh, it looks like I'm coming to you.**

I quickly put my phone back into my pocket as I heard Jace stomping down the stairs. Simon rolled his eyes ever so subtly. I was beginning to wonder what his problem was. Isabelle went into the hallway to meet Jace to order the pizzas. I thought now was the perfect time to ask Simon.

"What's your issue then?" I slid myself onto the floor next to Simon. He looked at me confused.

"I'm hungry." He shrugged, smiling.

"You know what I'm talking about Simon." I gave him a look and he sighed, his body sagging.

"I don't trust him Clary. I don't trust him with you. After everything you told me about Sebastian, I feel like I have to be there for you. But you're not letting me be there for you." It suddenly dawned on me, I hadn't really been spending an awful lot of time with Simon recently. That combined with me keeping Sebastian from him seemed to be eating away at his insecurities. It wasn't Jace that Simon had a problem with clearly, it was the fact I was choosing to spend my time with Jace over spending time with Simon.

"How about we do something tomorrow? Just the two of us?" I offered. I didn't want to leave Isabelle out but Simon and I needed some us time. Like the old times. His face lit up, an instant picture.

"Really?" He was like a kid at Christmas, giddy. I nodded, and he embraced me. I recoiled as Isabelle came back into the room.

"Pizza should be here in 30 minutes. Clary, do you mind if I have a quick word with Simon?" Isabelle looked uncomfortable in the doorway and I shrugged. I had a feeling where this was going. Hopping to my feet, I found my way into the kitchen. Jace was sitting there, fully dressed, He didn't notice me come in, his attention focussed on a text book in front of him. He was gliding a pen across his bottom lip, his hand planted in his hair, elbow resting on the table. I could have stood and watched him all day but his eyes finally flickered up, finding mine.

"How long have you been stood there?" He asked, smiling lightly.

"Not long." I said, placing myself at the table opposite him, resting my elbows on the table.

"What brings you here then?" He asked, closing his book and putting down his pen.

"I got kicked out of the living room."

"Oh?"

"I think Isabelle is going to ask Simon out on a proper date." I commented under my breath. Jace was smirking.

"I'm not quite sure what she sees in him." Jace teased, rolling the pen between his fingers. I pouted.

"It's funny you should say that. Simon said the same about you." I said, looking away. When I looked back, Jace's face had fallen slightly, his eyes glaring into mine.

"What did he say?" Jace asked, leaning forward on his elbows. I shrugged.

"Nothing much." I said bluntly, staring at my fingernails. Jace growled lightly under his breath. I laughed. "He just doesn't see what I see in you."

"That's funny. He should really think about being a comedian."

"Maybe that's what Isabelle sees in him."

"I'm more interested in what you see in me." Jace smirked.

"That's none of your business."

"I can make it my business." His eyes lit up as I was just about to escape from my place at the table. Thankfully the doorbell went just in time. Isabelle went quickly to answer it. Jace broke his stare, going to the door to help Isabelle. Simon joined me in the kitchen, his cheeks were bright red and I gave him a look.

"What's up?" I asked quietly, so not to attract Isabelle's attention.

"Isabelle wants to go to the movies tomorrow. But I said we would hang, so I told her I'd think about it and I don't think she's happy with me." I laughed, giving Simon a small hug.

"Go to the movies. I can wait until Monday. I promise." I laughed.

"But I told you we would-"

"Simon, honestly. Go. Then you can tell me all about it Monday. Deal?" He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Deal." He smiled, heading off into the hallway to tell Isabelle that he was free. Jace passed him in the doorway, carrying a stack of pizza boxes.

It was clear that Isabelle was still a little bit annoyed with Jace as he stayed in the kitchen to eat his pizza, whilst we ventured into the living room. I was starting to feel a little bit like a third wheel between Simon and Isabelle. I stifled a yawn behind my hand as Isabelle and Simon were picking out a 3rd film.

"Hey, I think I'm going to go home. My mum has been trying to ring me so I think she must want me back." I said, lifting myself from the sofa, putting my jacket back over my shoulders.

"We can walk you?" Simon said, looking at Isabelle. I shook my head.

"It's fine honestly. It's only a 15 minute walk away. You two watch your movie." I smiled, heading out of the living room. "See you guys Monday." I smirked at Simon and he started to blush once more. I popped my head into the kitchen to see if Jace was still there to say a quick goodbye, but he must have went back upstairs. Pulling my shoes on, I slipped out of the door and headed back home. It had gotten quite dark outside, but there were still a few people milling about.

 **Clary: See you later (:**

I sent Jace a quick message as I was on my way home, seeing as I hadn't been able to catch him before I left. His response was almost instantaneous.

 **Jace: Have you walked home by yourself…?**

 **Clary: Yes? I'm a big girl you know.**

 **Jace: Well no you're not, you're comically short but that's not the point. You shouldn't be walking home by yourself.**

 **Clary: Are you telling me off?**

I didn't see what his problem was. I was nearly home.

 **Jace: You'd know if I was telling you off. You should have asked me, I would have given you a lift.**

 **Clary: I appreciate it, but I do have legs. Plus I'm nearly home, if I cut through the park I'll be there in 5 minutes.**

 **Jace: Do not go through the park.**

I really didn't see what his issue was, it was well lit. It's not as though it was crammed full to the brim with murderers. I totally understood that he was worried about Sebastian and whatnot, but he lived on the opposite side of town, he wouldn't just be hiding out in a park around here just in case I turned up.

 **Clary: I'm going through the park.**

 **Jace: You don't like to do what you're told, do you?**

 **Clary: Never.**

I hastened my pace as I went through the park and made it unscathed to the other side. I was quite chilly when I got back into the house and headed upstairs to run myself a bath.

 **Clary: I'm home by the way. Safe and sound, sort of.**

I left the text deliberately ambiguous, running the water.

 **Jace: Sort of?**

 **Clary: I'm a little bit cold…**

Jace clearly didn't find it as hilarious as I had.

 **Jace: You're not funny. I would have offered to warm you up, but I don't think you deserve it anymore.**

 **Clary: Why?**

 **Jace:** **You owe me one now for trying to worry me.**

 **Clary: I'll make it up to you.**

 **Jace: I'm sure you will.**

I placed my phone on my bed before I sunk into the bath, letting the warmth soothe me before heading to bed.

When I woke up in the morning, it was pouring of rain – the type of weather that made you just want to stay in bed all day and read. Or in my case, draw. I grabbed my sketchpad from the counter, resting it upon my knees with my pillows propped up behind me. I started to sketch and before I knew it, hours had passed. I took a good look at the picture before me. I'd drawn Jace as I had seen him at that table yesterday. Serene and beautiful. I traced my finger over the image lightly before stashing my sketchpad into the drawers of my desk. I flicked through my phone, I had a few messages.

 **Jace: You've been very quiet on the debt front – stumped?**

 **Clary: No. I have an idea. You're just not here for me to execute it.**

Who was I kidding? I had 0 idea. I didn't do 'sexy' very well. Clumsy yes, sexy not so much.

 **Simon: I'm off on my date, wish me luck! Please!**

 **Clary: Good luck! I'd say break a leg, but I wouldn't put it past you!**

I rolled my eyes when I read the last one.

 **Sebastian: See you tomorrow.**

Unsurprisingly, I didn't want to go anymore. I reopened my chat with Jace to try and cheer me up.

 **Jace: I can get there, you don't have to worry about that.**

 **Clary: Stop it you.**

 **Jace: I think you're just all talk.**

 **Clary: Shame, means you won't get anything then.**

 **Jace: What am I getting?**

 **Clary: Nothing.**

 **Jace: Don't tease me.**

 **Clary: I'm not teasing, you're not getting anything.**

 **Jace: I was going to offer you a date as well. Shame.**

I bit my lip. He always knew how to keep me hanging on.

 **Clary: Fine. You offer me a date and I'll repay the debt on it, fair?**

 **Jace: Sounds good to me. We'll go Tuesday after school. Your brother has a dentist appointment so he won't be around to question it.**

 **Clary: Such a relief it is that you know my brother's schedule inside out…**

Our conversation carried on through the day, only dying off as bedtime approached. Once I closed my eyes, I was transported to a horrendous dream. I was back in that room with Sebastian, back in that nightmare. I couldn't wake up. I couldn't do anything. I was stuck. I was screaming but no sound was coming out. Finally I could see the light, my legs unstuck and I ran for it, waking up sweating in my bed.

"Shush, shush." Jon was there, his arms were draped around my shoulders. He swept my hair back from my face, rubbing my shoulder reassuringly. Getting my breathing under control, I reclined in his hold, my heart racing. "You're alright. I'm here. Don't worry. I'm here."

"Thanks Jon." I finally managed to speak a few minutes later, catching myself.

"Don't worry about it. I'm always here if you need me." Jon said, leaving the room briefly. He returned a few moments later with his blanket and pillow.

"What are you doing?" I asked, sitting up in bed.

"I'm going to stay on your floor tonight Clary. I'm not leaving you when you're like this. Not even just to go down the hall." I smiled at him lightly before rolling on my side.

"I really appreciate it you know." I said, trying to hold back tears.

"It's what big brothers are for."

The rest of the night passed by easily, sleep not a problem with Jon in the room. I was so thankful for him, more thankful than he would ever know.

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing! It really makes my day that little bit brighter (: All my love, until the next time. ~Sapph**


	21. Chapter 21

_**Hey! I just want to take this space to start something new. I'm going to start answering a question (or 2) a chapter. If you want to ask a question about anything, feel free to leave a review and I'll pick my 1-2 favourite questions to answer. It could be about anything – the story, my favourites from the books the story is based on or just trivial things you want to know! Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I have enjoyed writing it!**_

Jon was still asleep on the floor when I woke up the next morning. I tread carefully around him before dipping in the bathroom to get changed. Opting for my usual attire, I penned a quick thank you note to Jon before slipping out early to have a slow walk to school. By the time I arrived at school, Isabelle was already waiting for me in form, sitting on the edge of her seat. Once I sat down next to her, she grabbed my hand excitedly.

"You'll never guess what Clary!" She squeaked, rocking back and forth like a mad woman. I had a feeling where she was going with this, but I decided to play along – she would probably appreciate it more.

"What?" I asked, keeping my face as confused looking as possible. She looked left and right before lowering her voice to an excited whisper.

"Simon and I kissed!" She tucked her hair behind her ears, looking at me and waiting eagerly for my response. My mouth fell open. Yes, I knew Simon and Isabelle liked each other but I'd never imagined Simon kissing anyone ever.

"So are you two – together?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows at her. She shook her head, suddenly losing that giddiness.

"No, not really. I don't want you to think badly of me." She muttered, I looked at her curious.

"If you want to talk, I'll listen."

"Well, with you being Simon's best friend, I'm not sure."

"I don't tell Simon everything you know." I looked at her seriously.

"Well I'm keeping my options open, I have another date tomorrow night but I don't want to hurt Simon's feelings."

"Well, have you told Simon you guys are dating exclusively?" I queried. She shook her head. "Then where's the issue? There's no harm in playing the field Iz, just so long as you're open about it." I shrugged.

The day went by too quickly and before I could even prepare myself, I was walking back into that dreaded art classroom. My phone buzzed just before I entered, giving me a small leap of hope.

 **Jon: Love you C.**

Jordan was already sat at the table, Isabelle and Sebastian were over at the brush counter. Jordan smiled broadly when I approached him.

"Just a head's up, don't ask about his eye." Jordan muttered out of the corner of his mouth as I readied my art supplies.

"The eye?" I asked, a bit louder than Jordan would have preferred. He held a finger up to his lips, before pointing in Sebastian's direction. I craned my neck slightly to catch a glimpse. You couldn't miss it. Sebastian's eye was a brilliant shade of purple which spread down the entire right hand side of his nose. Jon was right. It had been a good shot.

"He won't tell me how he did it, keeps saying he fell over. He's not the type to get into a fight. It's a mystery." Jordan muttered, silencing himself as Sebastian approached the table. He looked at me, eyes blazing before they simmered down.

"Have a nice weekend, Clary?" He asked, flicking through a few paintbrushes. I nodded.

"It was good. How about you? Been fighting?" I asked. Jordan turned his head away, trying to conceal a smile at how abrupt I had been. Sebastian laughed, letting his hair fall into his face before running his hand through it.

"You could say that. I think I left more of an impression on the other person than they did on me. Bruises fade. Words, thoughts – not so much." My stomach churned lightly at the thought of all the things he could have said to Jon. My hatred for him knew no bounds, he was completely repulsive. I'd had enough of this conversation, and enough of Sebastian already. Making my way over to Sebastian's portrait of myself, I started doodling around the edges, trying to figure out what I was going to do with it. It was making me feel uncomfortable just looking at his interpretation of me. It was making me even more uncomfortable listening to the way Sebastian and Isabelle were talking to each other. He kept giving her 'tips' and being overly touchy. I let myself go, letting the doodles take over, casting whatever it was Sebastian was doing far from my mind. I nearly jumped a mile out of my skin when someone's hand rested against the very base of my back. I span around on the spot to see Jordan stood behind me, an interested look on his face. Turning my attention back to the image, I saw what he was looking at. I'd filled the entire right hand side of the outline with strange little line drawings, some darker than others, some more detailed than others. It looked really bizarre, but worked oddly.

"This is really trippy." Jordan twisted his head to look into the more intricate of details, something seemingly catching his eye. "You've caught a perfect likeness of it. Here Seb, have a look at this." Jordan hailed Sebastian who came to look at the image. I wasn't sure what Jordan was gesturing too, until he stepped back a touch. In my daze, I'd doodled Sebastian's tattoo. It wasn't that surprising to me, it was something I'd been drawing all of my life, something that I drew when I was bored. To Isabelle or Jordan, it looked strange, like I'd been thinking about Sebastian's tattoo, like I'd been staring at his chest or something.

"I didn't realise you took that much interest in me, Clary." Sebastian smirked at me. I could see Isabelle behind him looking slightly hurt, but she quickly changed the look on her face to one of confusion.

"You must have a pretty good memory to just recall it like that from a one off instance." I shrugged.

"I was just doodling. It's just an eye."

Sebastian shook his head, getting closer to the image.

"No, you've got it right down to the intricate details. It's as though you drew the tattoo." He looked at me curiously as I had to plaster a fake smile on my face. He was clearly trying to heighten the awkwardness of this conversation. Once I'd managed to talk it down to a coincidence, I made my way to the supply cupboard to get some mixed media to help Jordan with his part of the project and to get out of the line of questioning for a couple of minutes. My arms filled with supplies, I went to turn around just to find Sebastian in my way once again.

"Excuse me please." I said briefly. Sebastian just looked down at me, the door of the cupboard open only a fraction.

"I think you want to be saying more than 'excuse you' Clary." He growled. "Have you seen the state of my face? I had to walk around my college like this – I look like a thug, like your brother and his shadow." Sebastian was getting closer into my space, his voice getting lower and deeper.

"He wasn't meant to hit you." I managed, trying to look for an escape from this horrible situation. Sebastian laughed, pushing his hair from his eyes again.

"But he did. Now what are you going to do about it? How are you going to make it up to me? I could still go to the police you know." He was right up against me now, his hands resting on the tops of my arms, holding me lightly in place before him.

"It's hearsay." I shrugged, trying to worm my way out of his grip, his touch making me queasy. His hands clamped down, his fingers digging roughly into my biceps. I held back a yelp, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. He kept his grip on my arms, his teeth gritted for a few moments before his face softened.

"Oh Clary, Clary, Clary. It's a good job I love you so much." He finally loosened his grip, his hands rubbing my shoulders in a reassuring way. It was anything but reassuring. He grabbed the supplies from my hands, before heading out of the cupboard, flashing me a smile as he left. I must have stayed in there for another five minutes just trying to compose myself. My arms were burning. My face was burning. But I didn't cry, I refused to let myself cry. When I made my way back to my seat, I quickly put my jacket back on as though it would protect me. I didn't talk to anyone else for the rest of the class. I just wanted to go home.

Then I remembered I'd promised Simon we would go to Java Jones.

"Tell me all about your date then." I smiled, getting myself comfortable, wrapping my hands around my latte. Simon stripped his coat off, holding out his hand for mine. I shook my head, citing that I was cold. He sat back down, a nervous grin on his face.

"Well, it was really strange. Her brother Alec drove us to the cinema and I could kind of see him looking at me the entire drive there, like he was sort of weighing me up, it was weird. Well once we got there, it took us forever to pick. I mean, there wasn't really a lot of options and I didn't want to pick something I actually wanted to see just in case she wanted to yknow get a bit friendly and I ended up missing something important. So I let her pick, but nothing really happened during the film, we just sort of watched it." Simon shrugged. "But then once it was done, I was walking her home and hold onto your hat Clary – we kissed on her doorstep. Like actually kissed. I mean, I know she kind of likes me but I never imagined that she liked me that much!" Simon was babbling, his ears turning redder with each passing second. I smiled lightly, hovering over my latte.

"So, are you thinking about asking her to be your girlfriend?" I tested the water, I wanted to see if Simon was on the same page as Isabelle was. He shrugged.

"I'm seeing where it goes at the minute. I don't want to plunge into a relationship after just one kiss. You know me Clary, I have many a girl hanging on my every word." I tried not to snort into my coffee. He hit my arm for my cheek and I had to bite the inside of my mouth to stop myself from crying out from where Sebastian had grabbed me earlier. I forced a small smile before Simon and I started tearing apart the 'terrible' film that he'd had to endure with Isabelle.

Nobody was in by the time I got home. Mum and Dad were out for food, Jon probably at the gym. I hastily headed upstairs and into my bathroom. I locked the door behind me, just in case I had any unwanted guests. I stripped my jacket off cautiously, before unbuttoning my shirt. I took a deep breath before I allowed myself to pull it from my shoulders. The harsh black and blue fingerprints stood out against my lily white skin, each one tender to the touch. I threw my shirt back on immediately, swearing to myself that no one would find out about this. Reclining on my bed, I opened my phone to a horde of messages.

 **Simon: We really need to go out like that more often. How about tomorrow?**

 **Clary: I can't do tomorrow. How about Wednesday?**

 **Simon: Sounds good, chocolate pud.**

 **Jace: You still owe me.**

 **Jace: Ignorance will not save you. I will have this debt repaid.**

 **Jace: Have I done something to upset you?**

 **Clary: No, no. Today was just ridiculously long! Have you decided about our date tomorrow?**

 **Jace: I have. Not telling though, you'll have to wait and see.**

 **Clary: I wouldn't have it any other way.**

 **Jace: You getting soppy on me, Red?**

 **Clary: Nah. I'd just probably say no if I knew what it was beforehand.**

 **Jace: You're very rude.**

 **Clary: What can I say? I've had to adapt to my surroundings.**

The last message was from Sebastian and I opened it with great hesitation.

 **Sebastian: I love you Clary. I'm sorry.**

 **Clary: Sorry just isn't good enough. Leave me alone.**

 **Sebastian: It's alright Clary. We'll get there in time. You're my everything.**

I sighed in frustration, throwing my phone as far away from me as physically possible. Tomorrow was going to be difficult to get through.

 **Thank you to every single person who reads, reviews, follows and favourites. You really make this story worth writing. Your feedback always makes my heart soar and really keeps me motivated to deliver. All of my love, until the next time! ~Sapph**


	22. Chapter 22

_**Hello!**_

 _ **The first question this chapter comes from**_ **20vickerymelissa (thank you for your question and lovely review!):** _ **"Who do you think you are most like from the books?" I would have to go with Simon. I'm sarcastic, geeky and also a vegetarian!**_

 _ **The second question comes from**_ **Pizzanna (Don't worry, I want to murder Seb too):** _ **"Do you do any sports?" I don't really do sports, I'm much more like Clary in that aspect. I'd prefer to sit and draw rather than running around a field any day! Feel free to review with your own questions or answer the questions above, I'd love to hear your answers (:**_

 _ **Let's get back into the story, shall we?**_

I woke up the next morning feeling sluggish and drained. I was somewhat excited for my date with Jace later on but the thought of having to get through 2 hours of art with Sebastian and having to deal with a date of concealing the bruises was making me feel apprehensive. I needed to wear something that made it easy to hide them that would be half of the battle. Grabbing a pair of acid-washed jeans, I paired it with a light blue jumper. I couldn't help but think back to a time when I had to plan every clothing choice around what I needed to cover, whether it be because of bruises or to avoid Sebastian's jealous rages over apparent male attention.

Isabelle was sitting giddy once more when I got to form class that morning, picking at her fingernails.

"What's up with you?" I asked, perching myself next to her.

"Nothing, just nervous for later." She giggled, twirling her hair around her finger. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel uneasy. I didn't want Simon to get hurt. I knew they were on a similar page but for some reason I thought that Isabelle would be able to bounce back from this easier than Simon would be able too.

"Your date?" I probed. She just nodded, biting her lip lightly. "Don't suppose you're going to tell me who it is?" She shook her head.

"Nope. Not until I've had the date." I could see where she was coming from and didn't push it. I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable talking to me. I just hoped that wherever she was going on her date, it was far away from wherever Simon was tonight. I caught up with Simon at lunch and it was as though Isabelle was feeling guilty because she didn't come near.

"Do you think I've done something wrong?" Simon asked, tucking into his sandwich.

"Maybe she's just figuring herself out." I shrugged, messing around with my own sandwich, not really eating it. Simon looked unsure.

"I hope she doesn't think I'm coming on too strong." He mused.

"Somehow I doubt that Si." I smiled.

On my way to art, someone creeped up behind me scaring me half to death.

"You excited then?" It was Jace, walking just far enough behind me to look like he was just heading to class.

"I can barely contain myself." I muttered under my breath.

"I'll meet you at the gates after the final bell." He whispered against my hair before turning down a corridor towards his next lesson. I took a deep breath before stepping over the threshold into art, ready for these 2 hours to be over with, completely terrified of Sebastian laying his hands on me again. I kept my distance from him for the most part, but he kept sliding up next to me, not touching my arms but coming close enough to me that I anticipated it. I tried not to flinch, moving myself away from him. I found protection by sitting myself down next to Jordan. Sebastian would come close but not close enough to give himself away. I picked up some paints, filling in some of the doodles that sat in front of Jordan. He looked at me briefly, before looking back down at the pictures, a small smile on his face. After about ten minutes, he started lightly flicking through my images, sighing.

"You are disgustingly talented." He laughed, holding the images up to the light.

"Uh – thanks?"

"It's a good thing." He smirked, before reaching into his bag. "I've got a question to ask you actually. One moment." I looked on curiously as he pulled out a piece of folded up paper.

"What's that?" I questioned as he unfolded it. Sketched out on the paper was a dragon created from scripture, matching his other tattoos. "A tattoo?" He nodded, pulling his shirt down a fraction.

"I'm wanting it to go here sort of." He gestured towards his chest. "It just doesn't look complete to me." He shook his head, looking over it. I pulled the image in front of myself, analysing it.

"Maybe you should sort of do it like this." I grabbed a piece of paper, copying his sketch but making the centre of it more solid, only allowing the scripture to become apparent at the edges of the image. Jordan watched me, weighing it up.

"We're meant to be working on the project you know. Not this." Sebastian was suddenly hovering over us, raising his eyebrows.

"It's only five minutes Seb, calm down." Jordan laughed, making Sebastian back off and go back to his portraiture.

"I think it could probably do with some colour." I mused after a while, Jordan watching my every move. I looked over at the supply cupboard anxiously. "Why don't you go and pick some colour you think you'd like in it and I'll have a play about?" I suggested. Thankfully Jordan seemed to really like that idea and bounded off into the cupboard. Sebastian quickly occupied the seat that he had left.

"You sure do like pushing my buttons don't you?" He asked, picking up my doodles that Jordan had left on the table. I didn't answer him, instead focusing on Jordan's tattoo in front of me. I was brought back to earth with a bang when I felt a tight grip around my already tender bicep. "It's rude to ignore people when they're talking to you Clary. Whatever happened to your manners?" He was leaning against me enough that nobody could see that he had a firm grip of my arm, When he let go, it was as though the pressure was still there, my arm pulsating relentlessly. I held back the tears as they threatened to cascade down my face.

"Leave me alone Sebastian." I reiterated. "Please, just leave me alone." Sebastian leant forwards on his elbows, a smile dancing on his face.

"Why do you keep resisting this Clary? It's going to happen, why don't you just let it?" I had no idea how I was going to respond to his question but I didn't want to get hurt again for not answering. Jordan appeared a few moments later, carrying a mix of reds, blues and greens in his hands and thankfully I didn't have to answer Sebastian's questions.

I was ready with my bag packed for the bell ringing and I practically ran down to the gates. I was overjoyed when I saw Jace already waiting for me, his car relatively concealed in the shade of the trees. Not wanting to hang about, I made a move for the car, throwing myself into the front seat. Jace looked at me surprised when I finally managed to pull myself up.

"Eager are we?" He smirked, turning on the engine. I looked at him, a light blush adorning my cheeks.

"You could say that." I smiled. "What have you got planned for us anyway?" I asked, placing my bag on the back seat.

"Well, our date doesn't actually start for about an hour or so." He said looking at his watch. I looked at him curiously.

"So, what are we doing then?" I laughed, putting on my seatbelt as he pulled the car out.

"Killing time."

About 10 minutes later, we pulled into a car park overlooking a park. Jace shut off the car, turning to face me in his seat.

"Tell me about your day." He said, relaxing.

"Well, uh." I muttered, trying to recall. "I saw Isabelle this morning, she said she's going on a date later." Jace nodded as though he was already aware of this. "Then I saw Simon and I think he's quite hung up over Isabelle, so I didn't tell him that she was going on a date later. Then I went to art."

"What happened in art?" Jace asked and I looked at him confused.

"Are you trying to ask me what Sebastian has been like? That's what it sounds like."

"Well yeah, I'm just keeping tabs is all? I don't want you to feel like you can't talk about him with me. If he's being a dick to you, I want to know about it."

"He's just been acting jealous, which isn't exactly new. I was helping Jordan out with his tattoo and I don't think Sebastian liked that very much. I've been trying to keep my distance of him though and it seems to be working a bit." I lied at the end. It wasn't working, Sebastian wasn't anywhere close to leaving me alone. But I didn't want Jace or Jon going after him again. Yes he'd gotten away with a punch last time, but I didn't want him pushing his luck. Jace was still checking his watch every couple of minutes as though he was waiting for something.

"I think we're good." He got the car ready once more, before heading to the one place I least expected.

"Have you forgotten something?" I asked, as he pulled up to his house.

"Nope, this is where the date is happening." He smiled, unbuckling himself.

"What about Isabelle?"

"She's on a date remember? She said she won't be back until about 8."

"What about your parents? Alec?" I asked.

"Alec is on holiday. Parents are at a business conference. It's fine, don't worry about it." He smiled, getting out of the car. I followed him apprehensively, not at all sure what he had planned. He offered to take my coat at the door, leading me through into the kitchen.

"So, are you going to fill me in at all?" I asked, laughing as I placed myself at the table. Jace started rooting around in the fridge, gathering items on the bench.

"I'm going to cook for you and then we're going to watch a film." Jace said simply and I laughed. He shot me a glance.

"You're going to cook?" I said, rolling my sleeves up to my elbows.

"Wow Red. Way to shoot me down." He held his chest in mock pain before stalking over in my direction. "I'll have you know that I actually make the best pancakes you'll ever taste in your life." He nuzzled against my cheek, kissing me just below my ear. Butterflies threatened to explode from my stomach as I laughed nervously. He held his hand out for me to take, leading me over to the hob. "You're going to help though."

Surprisingly, Jace really seemed to know what he was doing. He talked me through everything, guiding me with his hands. As he was whipping up the batter, I ran my finger along the edge of the bowl before wiping it on Jace's nose. He looked at me thoroughly unimpressed. I couldn't contain my laughter. Jace span to face me, giving me a look that basically said 'run'. I didn't even make it to the kitchen door before he had caught up to me. His body slammed into mine, his lips hitting my own with equal force. I stumbled backwards lightly but Jace steadied me, his arms wrapping around my back. As we broke apart, he rubbed his nose against mine, the batter transferring. I narrowed my eyes at him, but thought better of fighting back. I still had that 'debt' to settle later. I'd get him back when he was least expecting it.

"These are surprisingly good." I said, as we sat down to eat the pancakes.

"Did you expect anything less?" He questioned.

Once the pancakes were demolished and the dishes were done, Jace led me out of the kitchen and straight past the living room.

"I thought we were watching a movie?" I asked, gesturing to the door.

"Well, I thought we would watch it in my room? I have a TV the same size so?" He said casually. "But if you want to watch it in the living room, that's totally fine?" He started backtracking on himself. I shook my head.

"No, it's fine honestly." I followed him up the stairs, trying to quell any nerves that I had, The last time I had ever been in a boy's bedroom was back with Sebastian but I couldn't let that hold me back. Jace's room was strangely tidy, everything seemingly having its own little space. I couldn't believe how huge his room was. He had both a bed and a sofa in here and still had ample space. I sat myself down at the sofa as Jace set up his gaming console and what looked like Netflix.

"Unlike Simon, I don't carry a wealth of DVD's around with me in case the mood strikes. So I thought we could just have a look through this?" He suggested as he sat down on the chair next to me. I shrugged, nodding. I shimmied myself ever so slightly closer to him on the couch, trying to be subtle. I helped him pick out a film, not really paying much interest in what it was. We sat for ten minutes watching it in silence, as I planned out my next move. When he was fully engrossed in the film, I dived on him, sitting myself in his lap, one of my legs on either side of his. Cupping his face in my hands, I kissed him slow but deeply. After getting over his initial shock, his hands found their way to the base of my back, caressing my skin lightly. My hands explored his hair, his face, and his shoulders before resting gently on his chest using it to push myself back. I wiped my bottom lip lightly with my thumb before hopping off his lap, back into my space and focussing back on the movie.

"Debt settled." I said casually, not taking my eyes off the screen. I could see Jace fidgeting next to me as I tried to keep my eyes focussed on the screen ahead of me and not succumb to giving him attention. I should have predicted what would happen next. As soon as I so much as looked in his direction, he pounced on me, pushing my body beneath him on the sofa. I decided to play hard to get. I pushed myself further down the sofa until I slipped out from underneath his arm, clambering to my feet. Jace looked at me, his eyes full of fun. He quickly got to his feet, grabbing my hands and dragging me along after him. He sat himself down on the edge of his bed, pulling me over so that I was stood between his legs. He brought my face into kiss him, his hands rubbing up and down my arms. The butterflies were swooping around my stomach, until he squeezed my upper arms lightly. Something that would have otherwise have went unnoticed made me yelp in pain. Jace shot back from me, looking me over, concern in his eyes.

"What did I do?" He asked, his hands still resting on my arms as he took a look at me. I shook my head.

"It's fine Jace." I muttered, trying to move back in to kiss him and distract him from all of this. He kept me held in front of him.

"Something's wrong. What is it? Did I hurt you?" He asked, rubbing his hands up and down my arms.

"Jace-"I started but he squeezed my arms, trying to be reassuring, causing me to wince. He looked at me strangely.

"Take off your shirt." He said, bluntly. I looked at him and laughed.

"I don't have anything underneath." He was looking at me deadly serious.

"I'm not playing around Clary. Take it off." He said, reaching over to his drawers and pulling out a sleeveless vest. "Put this on, I won't look." He turned his head, closing his eyes. I sighed, knowing there was no way out of this. Pulling my jumper over my head, I hesitantly pulled it down my arms before replacing it with the vest. I might as well have just left my top off for all this vest covered. The neck fell down quite low, making my bra pretty much on show anyway. The rest of the vest fit me like a dress, coming down to my mid-thigh. The part I was most worried about though was that you could see the bruises as plain as daylight and they had seemingly gotten worse from this morning, now a lovely shade of black, blue and purple. I covered the bruises with my hands, crossing my arms across my chest to conceal my bra also.

"There, you happy?" I muttered to Jace, and he span back around on the spot instantly. He looked at me unimpressed by my attempt to cover up. His hands reached up to my own, trying to release my grip.

"Trust me." He muttered, resting his hands on top of mine. I did trust him, I just couldn't let go. The embarrassment, the shame, the feeling of fear all welling up inside of me, making my hands close fast around my arms. It hurt but I knew letting Jace see me like this would hurt more. He sat me down on the bed next to him, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "Come on, it can't be that bad Clary. Let me have a look at you please. You've got me worried." He soothed. I couldn't let him think that he had done something to hurt me. I pulled my fingers back lightly, allowing one bruise to become visible. Jace looked at me confused as I took a deep breath, releasing my hold on that arm, He held my arm out in front of him, looking at me with a mixture of emotions. His hand rested on top of my other arm, and I pulled back my hand once more. His face hardened, his mouth becoming a thin line, his eyes intense.

"Who did this to you, Clary?" He said simply to me as I hung my head.

 **Thank you so much for every follow, favourite, read and review! You guys really make my day. Remember if you have any feedback/criticisms/questions, feel free to leave me a review – reading them makes my day! All of my love, until the next time. ~Sapph**


	23. Chapter 23

_**Hello there! It's that time again – update!**_

 _ **First question comes from**_ **Pizzalover0246 (** _ **thank you for your review!): "What was your favourite book in the series?" – It's really hard for me to pick a favourite but I've always had a certain love for City of Bones. I think it's the initial Jace/Clary that gets me.**_

 _ **Second question comes from**_ **LeslieBelia (** _ **If I was Seb, I'd be seriously re-evaluating my life choices right about now.) "Do you plan on being an author?" – I have actually been writing my own material in between keeping up with my Fanfictions. It's just a matter of finding the confidence!**_

 _ **And the last question this chapter from**_ **Bubblegum234:** _ **"If you were a food item, what would you be?" – This question had me stumped for a little while but I think I'd go with a spicy rice. Something light and fluffy, with a little bit of kick.**_

 _ **I'd just like to say thank you to everyone for your wonderful reviews, you really do speed up the updates of the story. I have also read everyone's suggestions and I'll be trying to employ a few of them within the upcoming chapters – here's looking at Magnus' parties! Feel free to answer the questions above and feel free to ask anything you like in the reviews (:**_

 _ **Here we go again!**_

I didn't answer him. I couldn't form the words to answer him. He walked around me, watching me, checking for further injuries. Once he was satisfied that it was just my arms, he moved back in front of me, sitting himself on the bed, bringing me down to sit on his lap. His golden eyes searched my own, looking for an answer.

"When did this happen, Clary?" Jace asked instead, rubbing my back gently. _How this date had changed. If you'd asked me an hour ago, I would have wanted to stay here forever. Now, I couldn't think of anything worse._

"Yesterday." I mumbled, trying not to look him in the eye. I could see Jace trying to fight the anger in his face, trying to keep his stance neutral.

"Where did this happen?" He asked, reaching a hand down to hold my own.

"School."

"Who did this?" Jace asked again, but I knew for a fact that he already knew. I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face in his shoulder so that I didn't have to look at him. He held my back tightly, holding me against him. Jace picked me up, walking to the top half of his bed, placing me down before sitting down next to me. He pulled me against his chest, so that I was using it like a pillow. I intertwined my legs with his as he stroked my hair lightly. "Was it Sebastian?" He asked and I nodded against his chest. I felt his body turn solid immediately, the confirmation making my own body rock as the tears fell down my cheeks. Jace raised me up the bed, so that my eyes were level with his.

"I need you to listen to me right now Clary. This is not your fault. Whatever possessed him to do this, it wasn't your fault. What will be your fault though is if you let him get away with this. Something has to be done Clary. He can't get away with this, he's gotten away with enough in the past. So we need to have a discussion about this. We need to talk about what we're going to do about it."

"What can we do about it?" I cried. "I just want him to go away."

"I could think of a few things we could do about it, none of which you would agree with." Jace muttered. "I don't think the answer is me caving his head in though, as much as I would like too. I think the answer is minimizing his contact with you. I don't want him near you. I understand you guys have art together but you can get someone to meet you after the class, and you can stay away from him inside the class itself." Jace suggested. I nodded.

"Maybe I got cocky. I thought I could stand up to him." I went to rest my head against Jace's chest but he held me so that I had to keep looking him in the eye.

"Clary. Don't blame yourself for this. This is all on him." I could tell by looking at him that he was trying his best to contain his anger. "Do you want to talk to Jon about this?" He asked and I suddenly sat up, my heart full of fright.

"No. Jon can't know about this. He'd kill him. I want to try and deal with this myself. Please let me try." The tears were falling fast and heavy, Jace embraced me.

"Calm down. Breathe." He reiterated as my chest heaved. The thought of telling Jon was making me nauseous, the feeling growing in my stomach, rising up to my chest until it was a very real threat in my throat. I threw myself from the bed, making a dash for the bathroom. Jace was hot on my tail as I just say made it.

"You don't want to see this." I groaned through heaving. Jace hunched down beside me, rubbing my back and pulling my hair back from my face.

"Calm down. I'm here. You're alright." Jace kept repeating, stroking my back. "You can't let him keep doing his to you. How about this? Let me have a word with him. I promise you, I'll keep my hands to myself. I just want to talk to him. Okay?" I looked up at him, staring straight into those golden eyes. I nodded, reluctantly. "Thank you. Let's get you back home shall we? I think you could do with a hot bath and some rest." He was right, I couldn't think of anything better right now.

 **Jace's POV**

My blood was boiling on the drive over to Clary's. It took every ounce of patience I had not to go and hunt Sebastian down and put him six feet under. Even though Clary and I weren't in a relationship yet, just seeing her like that made me feel nigh on murderous. The pain behind those emerald eyes of hers, the fear that drove her so far to actually vomiting. I made it back to my house in what seemed like record time, probably driving a little too fast. When I went to pull into my usual space on the driveway, I was surprised to see another car there, one that I didn't recognise. I pulled my car in beside it, before walking up to the house. As soon as I opened the door, I could hear laughter coming from the kitchen. Kicking my shoes off, I headed along to the kitchen slowly. Pushing the door open, I was shocked by the scene before me. Isabelle was sat at the breakfast bar, Sebastian by her side. I was a mixture of emotions. _What was he doing in my house? What was he doing with Isabelle? What did he think he was playing at?_ All I could be thankful of right now was that I had taken Clary home when I did.

"Oh Jace! I didn't expect you to be here." Isabelle was laughing, tucking her hair behind her ears nervously. I raised an eyebrow, trying to keep my temper under wraps. Sebastian was looking between Isabelle and myself, a look of amusement in his eyes.

"I didn't realise you were bringing someone home." I managed to say. Isabelle looked at Sebastian, laughing.

"It was kind of a spur of the moment thing." She giggled, Sebastian touched her shoulder lightly and I could feel my blood boiling all over again. It took all I had not to launch across the room and beat the crap out of him.

"I really should be leaving though, I have some work I need to get done for tomorrow." Sebastian said, rising from the table. He kissed the top of Isabelle's head lightly, looking directly at me. My fists hardened at my side, as Isabelle flushed with colour. Sebastian made his way out of the door past me and I followed him.

"I'm just going to move my car." I said plainly to Isabelle as I kept pace with him. As soon as we were out of the door, I grabbed Sebastian's shirt holding him against the wall, my arm across his throat. He just laughed, making me want to punch him all the more.

"What would Clary say about this behaviour Jace? Tsk tsk tsk." Sebastian mocked, looking me dead in the eye.

"What do you think you're playing at?" I growled at him, pressing my arm further into his throat. Once his face started to swell red, he pushed me back.

"You take something of mine. I take something of yours." He grunted, rearranging his shirt. I launched at him again, pushing him back against the wall.

"You're going to leave **both** of them alone. If you touch either of them again, I swear-"

"Oh empty threats." Sebastian mocked. "Let's be honest here, you've only got one pair of eyes and from what I've learnt today Isabelle is pretty keen and eager to please-" Sebastian cut off as I slammed him into the wall. I was just about to bury my fist into his smarmy face, when I was pulled back by the back of my shirt. I span around ready to push back whoever it was behind me, to be met with Alec's icy stare. Sebastian slipped out from beneath my grasp, hopping into his car and driving off without so much as another word.

"Do I need to ask what that was about?" Alec asked, confusion rife on his face. I shook my head, trying to shrug him off. I needed to walk this off. "This isn't going away Jace. We're talking about it."

"I'm not talking about it in front of Isabelle." I said simply.

"Fine. We'll walk it out then." Alec said, easily keeping pace with me. "Who was that then?"

I filled Alec in on all the important bits, knowing that I could trust him with my life. We talked about Sebastian's relationship with Clary, minus the sensitive detail she had discussed with me the other day. We talked about the bruises and about Isabelle. Alec's face hardened by the end of my story, one question bothering him.

"So, do we tell Isabelle?" Alec asked.

"I don't know. It's not really my place to tell her, but I don't want her getting hurt. If I'm completely honest though, I think this whole thing is just Sebastian trying to get me to drop Clary and stop him going after Isabelle." I sighed, shoving my hands into my pockets.

"Drop Clary?" Alec asked, his eyes dancing.

"We're kind of – uh – seeing each other, sort of?" I rambled, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"My kind of seeing someone? Or your kind of seeing someone?" Alec questioned, his eyebrows raised.

"More so your kind." Alec looked at me taken aback.

"Can you repeat that? I don't think my brain was ready to process that the first time?" Alec teased and I shoved his shoulder. "Sorry, I'm just shocked. Isabelle isn't stupid though Jace, she'll figure this out by herself and if what you're saying about that Sebastian is right, then he won't try and hurt her. If he does though, hell hath no fury. Unless you can convince Clary to talk to her?"

"I'll try but I can't promise that she will. It took enough to get her to open up to her own brother."

 **Clary's POV**

After my hot bath, I put on a warm pair of pj's before heading downstairs. I didn't want to sit by myself, I wanted company. My Dad was sitting by himself in the living room, so I squeezed in next to him on the sofa. He wrapped his arm around me, still focussing on the paperwork in front of him.

"You alright honey?" He asked, stroking my shoulder lightly. I nodded, pressing my cheek against his arm. The comfort was all I needed right now, and my Dad seemed to understand that, not bothering me with chitchat. We sat like that for about half an hour before I decided it was time to go to bed.

"Clary." My Dad said as I was leaving the room. I turned to look at him, and he was looking up at me smiling. "I love you."

"Love you too Dad. Goodnight." I smiled, closing the living room door.

"Sleep well." His voice called as I climbed the stairs, feeling somewhat happier. Lying down on my bed, I pulled out my phone to ask Simon if we were still game for tomorrow but he'd beat me to the punch.

 **Simon: Tomorrow, we still on?**

 **Clary: Of course we are. Think we should come to my house.**

 **Simon: Good plan, batman.**

 **Clary: How are you feeling anyway?**

 **Simon: You know me, always perky. You?**

 **Clary: I'm alright. Just tired.**

 **Simon: Don't let me keep you up then! We'll catch up tomorrow, get some zzz's.**

I opened up my conversation with Jace next.

 **Jace: I really need to talk to you about something, not sure how you'll take it though.**

Had the way I acted earlier put him off me? Had I done something wrong?

 **Clary: Uh – what is it?**

 **Jace: Isabelle went on a date with Sebastian. Would you be willing to tell her about him, I just don't want her getting hurt?**

Of all the things I thought he was going to say, this wasn't what I imagined at all. I didn't feel comfortable discussing it with Isabelle – what if she thought I was jealous, or making something up? But then what if Sebastian hurt her, would I ever be able to forgive myself?

 **Clary: I'll think about it. I promise.**

 **Jace: I really appreciate it. Sleep tight, Red. Feel free to call me if you need me.**

I had a few more messages and quickly went through them.

 **Jon: Just heard you go into your room, do you need me tonight? x**

 **Clary: Thanks for the offer Jon, I think I'm alright tonight but I'll let you know x**

The last ones I opened were from Sebastian and I wished I'd opened them first.

 **Sebastian: Just had another run in with your Rottweiler. You really need to keep that thing on a leash before it hurts someone.**

 **Clary: What, like you hurt people?**

 **Sebastian: I only hurt you out of love Clary. I forget how delicate of a flower you are. I'll handle you better in the future, I promise.**

 **Clary: You won't be handling me at all. Stay away from me.**

 **Sebastian: You say that as though it's an easy thing to do. Love brings us together. It always will. See you soon.**

 **Thank you so much for every follow, favourite, read and review! You guys really know how to make my day. Feel free to leave a review with suggestions/criticisms/feedback and questions! I love reading them. All of my love, until the next time. ~Sapph**


	24. Chapter 24

_**Hello everyone! How long has it been?! Too long is the answer! Here's hoping to get back to regular updates.**_

 _ **The first question this chapter comes from**_ **FangirlofLiterallyEverything (** _ **Thank you so much for your lovely review): Which is your favourite TMI pairing? My alltime favourite would have to be Clary/Jace but I also have a soft spot in my heart for Magnus/Alec.**_

 _ **The second question comes from**_ **Shauna Kullden** _ **(Sebastian is definitely a twisted piece of work! Thank you for your amazing review!): Who's your favourite character? I love both Simon and Jace in TMI. When I'm writing, I really like writing Jace's parts though, mainly his dialogue – I love to play around with his sarcasm and humour.**_

 _ **Feel free to leave questions/comments/feedback in a review – I read every single one and try my best to keep you all happy! Love to you all. Let's crack on with the next chapter!**_

I quickly reopened my messages to Jon.

 **Clary: On second thoughts, I might need you after all. Sorry.**

A minute after I sent the message, Jon was standing in my doorway his pillows and blanket in hand.

"You never have to apologise Clary." He smiled, bedding down on the floor. "However, it may be worth me getting a camp bed of some sort."

I had a disturbed night's sleep, but Jon was there to help me through it. It wasn't Sebastian troubling my sleep tonight, it was Isabelle. What if she didn't believe me? What if she told people? What was I going to do?

I didn't eat any breakfast in the morning, my stomach already doing somersaults. Mum and Dad had both already left, so nobody forced me to eat and I headed off early before Jon had a chance to get out of the shower. I hoped to bump into Simon before I saw Isabelle, hoping he would coach me through this but how could I tell him about this? Wasn't he supposed to be dating Isabelle as well? No such luck. The first face that I came across was Isabelle's and she was looking at me as though she had a secret waiting to burst forth. How was I going to play this? Sitting myself next to her, I tried not to catch her eye, hoping that we could get through form without having to discuss it.

"Clary?" She finally caught my attention, tapping my hand.

"Hmm?" I turned to face her, lacking interest.

"Are you alright? You don't seem yourself?" She asked.

"I'm fine, just had a bad night's sleep." I seemed to have thrown off her overly good mood which I was somewhat happy about.

"Are you free this Friday? I know its short notice." I half-nodded, not entirely sure what I was agreeing to yet. "Magnus, Alec's boyfriend, is throwing a party – he usually throws them, and I was wanting to know if you wanted to go? Feel free to invite other people but don't go like crazy." She smiled.

"That sounds like a good night. I'll definitely come along, we'll arrange something tomorrow." I agreed with her before I left form room for my first period. I was curious as to why Jace hadn't invited me first, although with all of the drama of yesterday I wasn't surprised that it might have been overlooked. Oh god, I hoped my bruises would subside by Friday.

 **Clary: So, what's this I hear about a party at Magnus'?**

 **Jace: It totally slipped my mind. I'm not really that big into parties but if you're going, I'll make sure to show my face.**

 **Clary: I'm going to go. What's the dress code like?**

 **Jace: Magnus likes to go all out. Wear a nice dress and you'll be good. Did you tell Iz btw?**

 **Clary: Not yet, I'm not ready yet. I'm trying though.**

 **Jace: It's alright. Take your time.**

The day flew over until the only lesson we had left was Sport. As the sun was shining, outdoor volleyball was the chosen sport of the day. I changed alone in the toilets, still very aware of the bruises that adorned my arms. Most of the girls were wearing vest tops with their shorts, I think I was the only one wearing sleeves. It took me a while to spot Isabelle once we got outside, but once I did I felt instantly sick. She was standing on the edge of the field, twirling her hair, talking to Sebastian. Jordan was sitting a little further back on the bleachers, sketchpad in hand. What were they even doing here? The teacher was late so a few of the girls were practicing little cheerleading routines, some of the other girls were sneaking out towards the woods for a cheeky cigarette. I was just stood along the outskirts feeling mighty awkward but not wanting to go anywhere near Sebastian.

"How are you not roasting?" Jordan said, smiling down at me. I turned to face him. He was wearing a baggy t-shirt and a pair of Bermuda shorts, sunglasses adorned his eyes.

"You're talking to me about fashion choices?" I laughed looking back at his shorts. "Jesus Christ, they're loud." Jordan laughed out loud, taking his sunglasses off and attaching them to his t-shirt.

"I'm an artist. I can get away with these things." He smirked. "I'm assuming you kicked Seb to the curb? His attentions seem diverted?" Jordan gestured over to Isabelle and Sebastian who were laughing amongst themselves. I shrugged.

"What can I say? I find it difficult to get on with pricks." Jordan scoffed, patting my shoulder.

"You're hilarious. Although I would love to know what it is that Seb did, just so I don't make the same mistakes y'know." Now it was my turn to laugh.

"There's just something about him. Call it gut feeling or whatever, but he just makes me uneasy."

"Fair play. Your friend seems to be into what he's selling." I turned my eyes back to the pair of them, the space between them practically non-existent. "Looks like your lesson is cancelled as well." Jordan said catching sight of most of the class dispersing, looking like they were heading home. I rolled my eyes. I was meeting Simon at the school gates when school was over to go back to my house to hang, so either way I had to hang about.

"How inconvenient."

"Well, if you've got time, you could help me out with my sketches? I've been trying to extend that tattoo idea." I shrugged following Jordan back up to the stands. Once I sat down, I noticed that even though Sebastian was talking to Isabelle, his eyes were trained in on me. I broke the gaze, looking through Jordan's sketches instead.

"And you had the nerve to call _me_ disgustingly talented? If these aren't perfection on paper, I don't know what is." I said flicking through the pages.

"Is Sport cancelled Clary?" Isabelle and Sebastian sat themselves down on the row below us, looking up at us. I nodded.

"I'm meeting Simon after school so there's no point in me heading home." I explained to her.

"Well I'll stick around whilst you wait." She smiled, but she was looking at Sebastian, making it blatantly obvious that the reason she was sticking around was for his benefit. "Hey Jordan – are you busy on Friday?" Isabelle piped up, and my eyes instantly fell on Sebastian. He could barely contain his smug grin.

"I think so – why?" Jordan asked, looking unsure.

"My brother's boyfriend is having a party on Friday night. It's quite a smart dress code but they're really cool parties – he really pushes the boat out. Sebastian is going so I thought you might want to come as well?" Jordan looked like he was weighing it up.

"Are you going?" He asked me, and I nodded lightly. "I'm game."

"It should be a fun night, I for one am looking forward to it." Sebastian chimed in, his hand resting on Isabelle's bare knee. It made my stomach squirm and I vowed to myself that I would at least try to have a word with her.

"I'm going to have a walk back to the school to grab my bags, you coming Isabelle?" She nodded, hopping to her feet. I said a quick goodbye to Jordan as Isabelle gave Sebastian a light kiss on the cheek. I waited until we were definitely far enough away before starting up the conversation.

"Can I have a word with you a second about something Isabelle?"

"What is it?" She asked, still smiling.

"It's about – Sebastian." I said slowly. Her face faltered slightly.

"I know what you're going to say. I know that I went on a date with Simon but I just seem to get on better with Sebastian, but don't worry I'm not going to lead Simon on, I will tell him-"Isabelle trailed off.

"No, Isabelle, that's not really it." I muttered, trying to think how to go about this.

"Oh?" She asked, looking miffed.

"I just don't think he's a very nice guy. I wouldn't want you sort of getting really into him just for him to let you down or hurt you. I just think you need to be careful with him, there's just something off." I tried to explain it best I could, best I felt comfortable with.

"I knew you were going to say this. He told me you would do this."

"He? Who? What?" I muddled, confused at what she was getting at.

"Sebastian. He said that you would try and put me off him. He told me all about it Clary." My heart fell to the very pit of my stomach. _She knew?_ "I know that you asked him out on a date and that he declined. But really Clary, I don't think you should take that out on me. Jordan seems into you though, and I asked him to Magnus' party for that reason. So why don't you try and focus on yourself a little more, instead of on me and Sebastian? I don't want to fall out with you over this, let's just pretend this didn't happen, okay?" Before I had a chance to pick my jaw up from the floor, Isabelle was skipping off towards the school. Why hadn't I thought about this before? Of course Sebastian would have gotten in there first with his manipulation, why on earth was I surprised?

 **Clary: I tried telling her. She wasn't having any of it. I think she's just going to have to figure it out for herself. Sebastian can't keep a front up for long though and I don't think he'll hurt her. We'll just have to keep an eye out.**

 **Jace: Thanks for trying. Talk later.**

I frowned a little at Jace's reply. He seemed a little off? Shoving my phone into my pocket, I grabbed my stuff before heading up to the gates to meet Simon. Simon was there waiting for me, and as soon as I reached him, I wrapped my arms around him hugging him tightly.

"Hey, what's that for?"

"I've had a bad day, sorry." I sighed, pulling back.

"I'm not complaining, are you alright? Do you want to talk about it?" Simon asked as we started the walk back to my house. I started to feel uncomfortable. Was it my place to tell Simon about Isabelle and Sebastian? I had to talk about this though.

"I'm not sure if you know that Isabelle had a date with Sebastian yesterday?" I trailed off.

"I had an inkling." Simon admitted, looking slightly downcast.

"Well, I think he's turned the charm on because she seems to be falling for him hook, line and sinker."

"More like stinker…" Simon muttered, I could tell he was feeling bad about this just from the poor humour.

"I tried to have a word with her about him but I guess it was just too little too late. He got there first and now she thinks I'm jealous. So Jace is pissed at me because she's his sister and obviously she's now potentially hanging around with a violent creep." I sighed and Simon wrapped his arm around me.

"It's not your fault Clary. You did what you could, no one blames you. You're the victim in all of this." I shuddered at the word. We'd reached my house and I quickly let us inside before we slipped upstairs into my room. Simon set some comedy show up on the TV as we lay down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.

"Who'd of thought our lives would ever be this complicated…" Simon trailed off.

"I know. Why couldn't we have just stayed toddlers?"

"I feel that. Alas what I would give to only worry about what flavoured crayon I would be chomping down on that day or whether Stacey was going to fight me to play with the buggy."

"You loved that buggy." I said.

"You used to love sitting in it." I laughed, images of Simon pushing me around in that buggy flashing through my mind.

"I'll always be here for you Simon, I hope you know that." I muttered after a little while of silence.

"I'll always be here for you too, regardless what happens. You'll always be my best friend."

"I hope so."

"I know so."

"I have to ask – is this Isabelle thing beating you up?" I asked. Simon shrugged.

"I mean, I'm not thrilled about it. But there's nothing I can do about it. I'm not going to judge her for it, because you've said yourself that he's known for charm offensives. So all I can do at this point is wait really." I felt bad for him but it was the Simon I'd always known – full of optimism.

"How would you feel about coming to a party with me on Friday?" I asked, sitting up.

"Who's party? Who's going?" Simon questioned.

"Well its Magnus' and Alec's party. But Isabelle and Sebastian are going, I said I'll go but I want someone there. Please." I smiled my most charming grin. Simon sighed.

"Fine. I'll go. But you're watching this new season of Arrow with me tonight whether you like it or not!"

 **Thank you everyone for sticking with me! I love reading your reviews and hearing your feedback, hopefully I will be back tonight with another update for all of you lovely lovely people! All of my love, until the next time! ~Sapph**


	25. Chapter 25

_**Hello you lovely bunch! I'm really getting into writing this story again after my somewhat unprompted break! Here's to updates and lots of them! Thank you for reading, reviewing, favourites and follows, you guys are amazing. Some of the reviews I've received since updating yesterday have honestly warmed my heart so much. I really do appreciate every single one of you.**_

Friday came around a bit quick for my liking and my bruises were still there in yellowish shades. Jon was taking Simon and me over to the party at 7, Jace had agreed to meet me there but we hadn't really had much contact other than that over the last few days since I'd failed to keep Isabelle away from Sebastian. I got home early from school and set about trying to make myself look somewhat decent for tonight. After my shower, I went through my wardrobe thrice looking for something to wear that would cover my stupid arms. Just as I was about to embark on a fourth trip through my wardrobe, a loud knock rang out on the door. Quickly draping my robe across my shoulders, I pulled the door open to see Jon, his hands behind his back.

"Can I come in a moment Clary?" He asked, looking sheepish. I nodded, gesturing for him to come forward. "I know you've had a hard time lately and I thought you deserved something nice. Mum helped me pick it out, so I hope you like it." He smiled, revealing a box from behind his back. I looked at it curiously, setting it down on the bed and taking a peek inside. The dress inside was purple, a beautiful dark shade. By pure luck it had full sleeves of sheer material. The skirt had a small petticoat underneath as well as sheer panels down the sides. It was stunning.

"Jon, I don't really know what to say. It's perfect. Thank you." I hugged Jon around his waist, careful that my robe didn't slip.

"You deserve it Clary. I really hope we have a good time tonight. I'll let you get dressed."

It took me forever to do my make-up and I couldn't help but get flashbacks of when I'd had to dress up for the Gallery evening with Sebastian. Pushing him from my mind, I started to pull on my dress, managing to get it on by myself completely which was a feat in itself. Once the dress was on, I found a pair of black laced up stiletto heels to pair with it. I quickly checked my phone, hoping to see something there from Jace but I didn't have any messages whatsoever.

 **Clary: Hi Si, head over now if you can.**

I penned a quick message to Simon before popping my phone inside my clutch. Jon was waiting in the hall when I left my room.

"Look at you!" I commented, giving him the once over. Jon was fully suited up, looking quite dapper.

"Never mind me, look at you!" He laughed. "I'm surprised you didn't attempt to throw plaid in there somewhere. I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" He shouted as I swung for him almost losing my balance on my heels, thankfully he caught my arm keeping me standing. "Woah there, and this is before you've had a drink." Jon joked.

"I wasn't planning on drinking anyway." I said confused, I was underage so drinking wasn't really on my agenda.

"Well there's nothing wrong with a couple when I'm there. I mean we're all crashing there anyway, so it's not as though mum and dad will know any different." Jon shrugged, helping me down the stairs. Mum and Dad were both waiting at the bottom as though it was some sort of dance. Mum was getting all teary eyed like she had last time.

"It's so lovely seeing the both of you together, all grown up." She stifled a sob, fidgeting with the camera in her hands. Dad was about to open his mouth to add something when there was a knock at the door. Mum got me and Jon into position for her to take a picture as Dad let Simon into the house. Simon was wearing a similar suit to Jon, and he looked completely different. His suit was well tailored and brought out his shape, making him look really good.

"I hope you're not about to take a picture without your second favourite son!" Simon protested, shoving himself on the other side of me and into the picture. Dad took the camera, standing back to get us all in. Once the picture was taken, they started with their fussing, making sure that we knew where we were staying, that they would pick us up if needs be and making sure Jon was alright to drive. Once Jon had managed to convince them that everything was fine, we picked up our bags with our change of clothes inside and headed out to the car. Jon unlocked the car, grabbing my bags from me as Simon helped me into the back of the car before climbing into the passenger seat.

"You look – wow Clary. I don't think I've ever seen you in like a proper dress before." I could feel myself blushing.

"You look pretty good yourself." I commented as Jon climbed into the car.

"I know right." Simon looked down at himself. "I'm thinking about coming into school like this every day." I saw Jon roll his eyes in the rear view mirror and tried to stifle a giggle. The drive over was surprisingly long and I couldn't believe my eyes when we pulled up at what I can only describe as the biggest mansion I've ever seen in my life. The house was absolutely colossal, with grounds spilling out around it.

"To think I was worried that we would all have to crash on the floor…" I muttered under my breath, peering out of the window. Simon looked equally in shock, turning to look at me in the back.

"They've got a fountain…" He mouthed as Jon pulled his car around and into the garage that was around the back. There were a few people milling around already but most people were probably coming a little later. Simon helped me out of the car as I readjusted my dress as we followed Jon up to the house. The house was even more impressive on the inside, screaming personality.

"What is it Magnus and Alec do again?" I muttered to Simon.

"Magnus is some sort of organiser and planner and I think Alec helps him? I'm not sure. They're doing something right though." Simon commented.

"I wonder if he's hiring." I joked as Jon led us to what must have been the centre of the party. Drinks were lined up in rows on a table that seemed never-ending. Surprisingly, the room was already quite full. Alec and who I assumed was Magnus, were stood in the middle, both dressed in suit jackets with intricate patterns. As I was looking around the room, Jon had went to the drinks table and brought Simon and I a drink back.

"What's this?" I questioned, looking into the glass. Jon shrugged as Simon sipped it.

"Tastes good." Simon shrugged as I tasted it for myself. It tasted really sweet like nothing I'd ever had before. I finished it rather quickly.

"Woah there missus, it's not soda." Jon looked at me, an eyebrow cocked. I smiled coyly, before grabbing another glass for everyone from the table, promising to drink this one slower.

"Hello everyone, glad you could make it." Alec had joined our group, and I started to feel really nervous, I'd never spoken to him before properly and I felt a little awkward to say the least. Jon and Alec launched into a conversation as Simon and I stood looking around the room. I nearly jumped out of my skin when Alec approached me.

"I don't think we've had a chance to speak properly. Do you mind if I steal her for a moment?" Alec asked as Jon and Simon looked confused but didn't protest. I was quite confused myself. I handed my drink to Simon before following Alec from the room and along the corridor. "I was hoping that you would come tonight. Jace would likely kill me if he knew I'd had this conversation with you, but I was kind of interested to get to know the girl who finally tamed him, so to speak. " I scoffed a little.

"I don't think Jace can ever be tamed."

"Poor choice of words maybe, but I have seen a change in him recently." Alec smiled, leading me along a corridor decorated with the most ornate paintings, all of which attracted my attention. "I guess I'm just being a little nosy in trying to scope out whether or not you are as into him as he is into you." I shrugged slightly.

"We're taking it slowly." I started. "Jace doesn't want to get on the wrong side of my brother unless it's something durable I guess. He has been a little distant this week though." I added, it was nice to have someone to talk about this with openly and honestly.

"Ah the Isabelle situation." Alec commented. "I hope you don't mind that Jace told me but I know that this Sebastian is an unsavoury character. Isabelle will figure it out for herself, we will all just have to be patient and cautious." I was silent for a moment, taking it in that Alec knew probably my biggest secret. I just hoped that Jace hadn't told him _everything._ "I really do think you'll be good for Jace though, from what I can gather. I'll let you get back to the party and I hope to speak to you a little more as the night goes on." Alec smiled as we had come full circle back to the room we started at which was now looking considerably fuller than it had earlier. Simon was stood in the middle of the room looking a little awkward, I headed over to join him, retrieving my glass from earlier.

"I'll take that." I smiled, pressing the glass to my lips, downing the contents. Simon looked at me surprised.

"What was that all about then?" He looked over at Alec as we ventured back to the drinks table for a refill.

"Just testing the water I think, about Jace." I said, shrugging. Simon furrowed his brow momentarily before regaining himself. "Speaking of which, are any of the others here yet?" I looked around the room, a little eager to see Jace.

"Not that I can see. Jon's over there talking to Magnus but I don't think – ah scratch that. Don't look now though." Simon said, his face falling a little. I was tempted to look around.

"What?" I said, sipping my drink.

"Sebastian and Jordan just walked in. No sign of Isabelle and Jace though." Simon muttered, barely opening his mouth. I stayed focused on my drink and on Simon, worrying that if I turned around that Sebastian and Jordan would make a beeline for us. Jordan I didn't mind, Sebastian was another story unto himself. I felt rooted to the spot and really nervous, now didn't feel like a fantastic time to be stood next to the drinks table.

"Jordan." Simon muttered under his breath just before Jordan joined us. He was dressed in a grey suit jacket with dark blue trousers and was attracting a lot of attention from the room. I finally caught sight of Sebastian on the other side of the room, dressed completely in grey, talking to someone I didn't recognise.

"Hey there." Jordan smiled at Simon before turning his attention to me. His eyes stayed on me for the longest time as Simon started to shuffle uncomfortably.

"I'm just going to uh – go see what Jon wants." Simon stumbled through an excuse before heading off into a crowd of people. I cursed him under my breath for leaving me in this awkward situation.

"I'm probably not the first to say it tonight and I doubt I'll be the last, but you look phenomenal." Jordan said, taking my empty glass from my hand and passing me a glass of something I hadn't tried yet. I had to go easy on these drinks, Jace wasn't even here yet and I'd already had more than I'd planned to have all night.

"Everyone looks really good." I said, trying to turn the attention away from myself. Jordan smirked, chiming his glass against my own before pressing it to his lips.

"Sebastian didn't want me to come tonight, I can't imagine why." Jordan mused, looking over to where Sebastian stood. I shrugged.

"He's a strange one."

"You might just be right about that." Jordan affirmed.

 **Jace's POV**

I felt a bit strange about going to the party. I hadn't really spoken to Clary very much over the last few days, mainly because I was trying to figure out what to do with this whole Isabelle situation. I hadn't come up with very many answers. Straightening my jacket, I checked my watch. Isabelle was running really late, what was she doing up there?

"Iz, are you done yet? We're already late." I shouted up the stairs.

"One minute Jace. I'm nearly done." She called back. Leaning against the wall, I pulled out my phone and checked it.

 **Jon: We're here. You still coming, yeah?**

 **Jace: On way now.**

When I put my phone back in my pocket, Iz was standing at the top of the stairs making last minute touches to her make-up. What she was wearing made me nervous. Her dress was red and very tight fitting, cutting off at her mid-thigh.

"You sure you don't want a coat?" I questioned as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She shot me a look.

"No thank you." She grunted, reaching for her shoes.

"You might not want to bend over like that tonight – people might get to see what you had for lunch." I joked. She span around to look at me, her eyes narrowed. "I'm joking Iz. Have you got everything?" She nodded as we made our way to the car. The ride over was suffered in silence, my jokes with Isabelle earlier clearly not hitting her funny spot. As soon as the car was in the garage, she was out and heading into the main house. Either my jokes were really unfunny, or she was desperate to see Sebastian. Much to my annoyance. The room was packed to the brim when I finally got up there, Magnus and Alec standouts amongst the crowd. It didn't take me long to spot Clary, her hair a dead giveaway.

She looked out of this world and for the first time in my life my stomach was doing backflips, a queasy feeling inside my chest. Straightening up my jacket, I made my way over.

 **Thank you everyone for reading! I appreciate the whole lot of you, you lovely people! I will try to get this updated again tonight! All of my love, until next time. ~Sapph**


	26. Chapter 26

**Here we go again! I'm very excited about writing this story at the moment! Hope you all enjoy these updates!**

Jordan and I were just getting onto discussing his tattoo when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around, full of dread, just to have Jace's golden eyes meet mine and relief washed over me.

"I best go and see where Seb has gotten too. Catch you later Clary." Jordan said, clasping my shoulder before he mingled amongst the crowd.

"Hi." I breathed, taking Jace in. He was wearing pale grey, his hands casually resting in his pockets. His golden eyes not moving from my once, his gaze soft yet intense.

"Hi." He smiled back, his eyes locked onto mine.

"I wasn't sure you were coming." I admitted, trying not to get nervous and fidget.

"I wouldn't miss it." My heart was fluttering in my chest.

"I thought you were mad at me." Jace shook his head.

"Of course not. It's not your fault. Can I get you a drink?" Jace asked as he headed towards the table, he must have noticed I was fidgeting. I nodded, finishing the last of my glass. I took the new glass in my hand, telling myself that I would drink this one slow this time. I was starting to feel a little woozy headed.

"Is there any food, at any point?" I asked. Jace laughed.

"Nice priorities there. Usually once everyone is here, we go down to the ballroom where it gets a bit livelier and I'm pretty sure there will be food there." Jace informed me. Thank god for that. "Can I just ask how does it feel to be taller?" I backhanded him in the arm, narrowing my eyes.

"It feels terrible. I feel more generic." I said sarcastically.

"I doubt you'd ever be classed as generic Clary. Shorty or not."

"You're on a full charm offensive tonight aren't you?"

"Me? I'm always charming." Jace pretended to be insulted before something caught his eye. "I should probably go and have a word with Jon. I wouldn't want him feeling left out, is that alright with you? I won't be long."

"Go ahead. I need to find Simon anyway." I smiled, ushering him off. The little boost these shoes gave me wasn't enough to try and spot Simon through the crowd. Just as I was about to start investigating, Magnus spoke to the room.

"Thank you all you beautiful people for coming! If you would like to head down to the ballroom, we'll get this party started. Don't worry Theo, there's plenty of booze down there." Magnus joked, flamboyantly gesturing with his arms. The room started to move towards the doors and I allowed myself to be swept up along with it. I could hear the music as soon as I was outside of the door, and followed along with the crowd to an even larger room. My whole house could have probably fit into it twice maybe three times over. It was like a nightclub, or how I would have imagined one to look. Flashing lights, booths, a bar, dancefloor, you name it, it was there. It was going to be even harder to find Simon in this darkness. The dancefloor was filling up and I think it was the booze I had already consumed, but I felt a sudden urge to dance. Meh – I suppose if anyone wanted me, they could find me? I headed off into the crowd and started bopping along to the music. I'm not sure how long I was out there before I received a tap on my shoulder. I span around, still dancing, Jon swimming into focus in front of me. His face was full of amusement, arms folded.

"You enjoying yourself?" He asked. I nodded. "I don't mean to put a downer on it, but can I have a word?" I followed him off the floor and out into the hallway. "I saw Sebastian earlier. Don't worry, I won't hurt him unless he gives me reason to. I just want you to be careful okay? Don't drink anything that you haven't had in your hand the whole time, don't wander off by yourself, the usual – okay?"

"I know, I know. Thanks for the heads up. I think he'll be focussed on Isabelle anyway." I commented.

"Isabelle?"

"Well they're kind of a thing at the minute – I'm surprised you haven't noticed."

"Have you told her about him?" Jon started.

"I've tried but she just thinks I'm being jealous. I've spoken to Alec and Jace about it, and we're just going to keep an eye out." Jon nodded along to what I was saying.

"You just be careful alright? You're my main priority." Jon reaffirmed.

"I will be. Promise." I smiled as he led me back into the ballroom before heading off to talk to someone else. Thankfully I spotted Simon in the middle of the dancefloor, doing his typical outrageous moves. Grabbing a couple of drinks from the table, I waded out to meet him on the dancefloor.

"Hello trouble." He embraced me as I reached him. "Another drink, you sure that's a good idea?"

"They're not that strong. I'm fine honestly." I laughed as Simon led me over towards a booth near where he had been dancing.

"This house is absolutely insane. I couldn't imagine living in a place like this, it's just crazy." Simon was rambling as we squeezed into the booth. "To think we're staying here as well, talk about feeling like royalty for a night."

"I just hope Sebastian isn't staying." I muttered as he caught my eye, dancing on the floor, spinning Isabelle in circles. Simon followed my gaze, I felt bad for him having to watch Isabelle and Sebastian together.

"You and me both." He mumbled. A slow song came on and I looked at Simon and that sad look he had on his face. Hopping to my feet, I held out my hand.

"Come on. We're dancing." I didn't have to ask him twice. He took my hands, following me onto the floor. His hands fell to my waist as I placed my hands on his shoulders. "Sorry if I step on your toes." I apologised in advance.

"We don't have to worry about that, I'm the best dancer in this place." He smirked, as we swayed back and forth. I squeezed his shoulders, laughing. He span me out in front of him, before spinning me back in, I giggled the whole time. "I think someone needs to stop your drink." He laughed down at me.

"May I cut in?" Jon was stood behind Simon. Simon quickly stepped aside letting Jon take his place. Before Simon departed, Jon whispered something in his ear. His face immediately lit up and he bounded towards a blonde girl who was dancing by herself in the middle of the floor.

"What was that all about?" I asked Jon resting my hands on his shoulders.

"I just gave him a little prompt in the right direction that's all." Jon shrugged. "Sometimes that's all people need."

"What about me, do I need a prompt?" I teased, testing the water. Jon shook his head.

"No. No prompts for you. You're not allowed to date again until you're – let me think." He shook his head side to side. "27. That sounds reasonable." I rolled my eyes at him. "25?" He offered.

"You're not funny." I punched him lightly in the chest.

"I'm only looking out for you at the end of the day." He laughed before tensing up. Sebastian and Isabelle had someone moved through the crowd so that they were dancing right next to where we were.

"Clary! You look amazing! That colour is beautiful!" Isabelle giggled, her arms wrapped around Sebastian. Jon's grip tightened ever so slightly.

"Thanks, you look fantastic. Red is definitely your colour." I commented and Isabelle beamed. She looked on top of the world, that's what made it all the worse.

"And look at you Jon! Who knew that you had clothes other than jogging bottoms?" Isabelle teased and Jon tried his hardest to put a smile on his face.

"I'm full of surprises." He said through a forced smile, looking at Sebastian head on. "Clary, didn't you say you wanted me to show you to the toilet?" I was glad that he'd changed the conversation. We bid a short goodbye to Isabelle and Sebastian before heading off to the other side of the room, Jon had left to go speak to some other friends once he'd rescued me from dancing near Sebastian. It wasn't long until Jace found me stood on the side of the dancefloor, drink in hand.

"Is this becoming a problem?" He smirked, eyebrow cocked.

"No, you just keep catching me out at the wrong times." I laughed. "Anyway, do you want to dance?"

"You dance?" He laughed. I pouted, putting my drink down.

"Fine, I'll dance by myself." I sulked towards the floor but Jace grabbed my hand pulling me back towards him.

"I'm joking Red. Of course I'll dance with you." He led me towards the floor, thankfully far away from where I'd saw Sebastian last. As soon as his hands were on my waist, my spine went numb. I wrapped my hands around his neck. He was a pretty good dancer.

"Is there anything you're not good at?" I questioned. He seemed to be weighing it up in his head.

"If there is, I haven't found it yet." He grinned.

"How did I know you would say that?"

"Why did you ask then?" He laughed, squeezing my waist gently. "How are your arms?" He asked, quietly.

"Healing. But not healed enough that I can have them out."

"They're the last ones you'll ever have."

"I hope so." I said lightly, starting to feel a little tipsy.

"Funny how we keep bumping into each other like this!" Isabelle's voice rang out as Sebastian appeared next to us.

"Speak of the devil." Jace said, looking directly at Sebastian.

"Clary, do you mind if I have this dance with my brother?" Isabelle smiled. I didn't want to let go of Jace but I had to.

"Yeah, feel free." I stepped back as Jace eyed up Sebastian suspiciously. I felt uncomfortable standing next to Sebastian as Isabelle and Jace danced before us.

"It would be rude if we didn't dance as well." Sebastian commented, brushing my side.

"I don't think so."

"What would poor Isabelle think?"

"Whatever you tell her." I muttered.

"That's right. Maybe I should tell her that you tried coming onto me?" Sebastian mused. I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, you want to dance. I'll dance with you. But I won't like it." I grumbled, following him onto the floor. He placed his hands on my hips as I rested my hands on his forearms as though protecting myself. His hands spread out along my hips, his touch alone making me squirm.

"You're so beautiful Clary." Sebastian muttered, quiet enough to not attract Jace or Isabelle's attention. He looked as though he was about to say something else when the music suddenly cut out and the lights flickered back on. Magnus was on a little podium at the front of the room, microphone in his hand. I sprung away from him as soon as the opportunity was presented to me.

"Sorry to interrupt the fun everyone, but I have some important news. Actually – it's the reason I've gathered you all here tonight. I don't usually need a reason to host a party, but hey I'm rambling. Sorry. Back to the matter at hand. Where is my beloved? Oh there you are, can you join me on the stage a moment darling." The crowd parted as Alec walked forward and hopped onto the stage next to Magnus, a bemused look on his face. Once he was on the stage, Magnus beckoned him forth. "As most of you know, Alec is the love of my life. He is everything that I've ever wanted and so much more than that. He is my life's greatest achievement and I treasure every moment I've ever had with him. Every moment that I am destined to have with him. Alec." Magnus dropped to one knee and the entire room seemed to hold its breath. Isabelle let out a small scream, Jace wolf-whistled. Alec seemed to be shaking from head to toe. "Alec, would you do me the greatest honour of allowing me to be your husband?" Alec mouthed the word 'Yes', the room bursting into applause. The music restarted as Alec and Magnus locked lips on the podium. Thankfully the slow dances were over, the music comprised now of high energy dance tracks, meaning I didn't have to touch Sebastian again. Over the course of Magnus' speech, Jace had moved in behind me.

"Want to get out of here for a little bit?" Jace whispered against my ear, and I nodded. I wasn't sure where Jace had in mind but anywhere was better than here. A couple of corridors and staircases later, Jace led me into a room that was one of my dreams come true. The most beautiful intricate pictures decorated every wall, desks laden with books covering every inch of the floor.

"Are you alright after that? Dancing with King Creep that is?" Jace asked, pressing the door closed.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I smiled, making a mental note to grab some food when we back down to the hall.

"And you're sure about that?" Jace questioned as he walked over to where I was stood.

"Uh – yeah?" I said, puzzled.

"Good." I barely had a chance to process what Jace had said as his lips crashed into mine, sending me staggering backwards. My legs slammed into the desk behind me, as I wrapped my hands around Jace's neck, kissing him back with unrivalled passion. Jace's hands fell down to my butt, lifting me up with ease, placing me on the desk behind me before cupping my face with his hands.

"What – if someone – walks in?" I breathed as Jace kissed along my jawline. I could feel his mouth smiling against me.

"I – locked – the – door." He said between delivering kisses down my throat before coming back up to my lips. I couldn't hear the music from downstairs anymore all I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears as Jace's hands fell to my legs, stroking the outside of my thighs. Allowing his tongue into my mouth, I grabbed handfuls of his jacket pulling him as close into me as I could manage. Jace started teasing me, gently sucking on my lower lip, pulling just far enough back from me so that I couldn't kiss him.

"You're such a tease." I moaned as Jace pulled back, letting go of my lips, straightening up his jacket.

"Well, I've got to keep it interesting." He smirked, hoisting himself onto the desk next to me.

"That's how it is, is it?" I pouted, hopping down from the desk and nearly losing my balance in the process. "I'll play hard to get from now on then, if you want 'interesting'." I headed towards the door, unlocking it and going to open it. Before I had a chance to pull it completely open, Jace's hand slammed into it, pressing it shut once more and turning the lock.

"I don't think you want to play that game Red." He growled against my hair, his teeth lightly grazing my ear.

"I'm not playing any game, I'm just not letting you get what you want so easily." I tried to hide my grin against the door, the shivers up my spine doubling.

"And why would you do something silly like that?" He muttered, his breath hot and heavy. I could feel his body pressed up against me. I giggled.

"Because it's funny." I managed to say before Jace turned me around to face him. His eyes were alight as he looked at me with an amused look on his face.

"Do you know what happens if you poke a hornet's nest Clary?" Jace asked, looking at me seriously. I shrugged, taken off-guard. His smile returned as his hands fell to my lower back once more. "You get stung." Just as I was about to question what he meant, his arms lifted me up against the door until I was pressed between it and his body, my legs having nowhere to go but around him. His lips sought out mine once more, his hand on the back of my head as he kissed me deeply. My hands fell to his shoulder blades, as I held him tightly, a mixture of passion and fear of falling from where I was wedged. He let out a small moan, against my lips as he pressed his hips firmly against my own. A small gasp escaped my lips as Jace's hands returned to my back lowering me back to my feet.

"So what have we learnt?" He laughed, rubbing my cheek lightly with his fingertips.

"Uh – hornet's. Uh – you'll get pok- I mean stung." I bumbled, my mind like jelly, a mixture of what had just occurred and the alcohol. Jace laughed at me, straightening out my dress for me.

"Something like that, maybe you need another lesson." He smirked, kissing my nose. "But we'll get to that later, I don't want to keep you from the party for too long. After you." Jace smiled, holding the door open for me.

 **Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews, you make my day! All of my love, until the next time. ~Sapph**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello hello hello! Let's not mess around and get on with the story shall we?**

Once we made our way back into the main room, I set about looking for Simon. Surprisingly, I found him wrapped up with the blonde girl from before and when I say wrapped up, I mean they were a tangle of limbs. I decided to let him get on with it – he deserved a bit of happiness. Naturally, I gravitated back to the bar. I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone placed a drink down in front of me. Jordan was smiling at me, placing himself at the barstool next to me.

"Are we enjoying the party?" Jordan smiled, chinking our glasses. I nodded, lightly. "And what about that engagement?"

"It was lovely, wasn't it?" I smiled thinking about it.

"You know what else is lovely?" Jordan smiled. "The gardens."

"Oh you've had a chance to look outside?" I asked, sipping.

"Yeah, you fancy a look? I've gotten quite acquainted with them over the past few hours?" I finished off my drink.

"Yeah why not. Do you fancy yourself a bit of a tour guide?" I asked as we made our way outside. Jordan looked at me laughing, pulling his hand through his hair.

"Oh definitely. I'm questioning my choice of going to art school now." He said, sarcastically.

Jordan was right, the gardens were amazing. Flowerbeds full of the most amazing displays decorated acres and acres of land.

"So this is really out of my comfort zone. I'm not used to pissing my friends off." Jordan laughed as we strolled through.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. My feet were starting to hurt walking around.

"Seb wouldn't be happy with me if he could see me now. I've been strictly warned off." He laughed.

"Oh yeah, you said in class the other day."

"Oh no, there's been more instances since." Jordan laughed, shaking his head. "Mainly since you drew his tattoo the other day. He's basically told me to stay away from you because you're a weirdo." I could feel the initial anger burning up inside of me but I just couldn't help but laugh.

"What a strange man he is." I laughed, starting to feel drunker as the fresh air hit me.

"It's strange. Why do I get the feeling that I don't know the whole story?" Jordan looked bemused. I shook my head, the alcohol somewhat loosening my tongue.

"You don't know the half of it." For some reason I just couldn't stop laughing – maybe it was all the tension coming to the surface. Jordan looked confused.

"So you guys do know each other then?"

"You could say that." I laughed, sitting down on the side of one of the flowerbeds, a mixture of my feet aching and to stop me from keeling over from the drink.

"I feel a story coming on." Jordan joked in a singsong voice. I looked at him with my eyebrows raised.

"No way." I retreated. "I haven't had enough alcohol for that yet."

"Your wish is my command." Jordan got to his feet. "Don't move." He waltzed back into the house as I sat on my flowerbed tapping my feet to the music.

"Well, isn't this cosy?" Sebastian appeared next to me, a tight smile on his face. I looked away from him.

"Go away."

"Getting you alone these days is such a rarity." He mused, standing directly in front of me.

"Piss off." I emphasised, liquid courage. Sebastian took a seat next to me on the flowerbed.

"I don't think so, do you know how difficult it was to shake Isabelle off? 'Let's dance Sebastian', 'let's get another drink Sebastian', 'I'm so insecure in myself that I can't stand to be alone Sebastian'" He mocked as I stayed silent, tapping my feet on the floor willing Jordan to hurry back. "Come on Clary, I miss us, you've got to at least miss us a little."

FLASHBACK

" _Can we quickly nip for a drink, my feet are killing!" I moaned, dragging Sebastian by the hand towards the little quirky coffee shop in town. He sighed, but instantly broke into a smile._

" _Fiiiiine. Just because I love you though." He trailed after me, his arms laden with shopping bags full of art supplies. I'd had such a good day. The sun was shining and Sebastian was in one of his good moods. We quickly ordered at the counter, Sebastian eying the barista suspiciously. We chose a booth, sitting ourselves down, placing the bags underneath the table. "What's taking the coffee so long?" Sebastian commented a few minutes later, looking back over to the barista._

" _Do you know him?" I asked, innocently._

" _No, do you?" He asked, his eyes burning into me. I shrank back into my seat, not wanting to antagonise the situation further. I shook my head, becoming increasingly interested in my fingernails. The tension was broken by that same barista appearing with our drinks. I was just about to reach for mine when Sebastian pulled it away from me._

" _What's the matter?" I said, trying to crane to see what he was looking at. He shoved the coffee back towards me, it sloshing around the edges slightly. I caught sight of it. The barista had drawn a frilly pattern in the foam of my drink but not in Sebastian's. "It's probably just because I'm a girl." I commented as Sebastian eyed me up._

 _We didn't speak much over the table. We didn't speak much as we walked back through town. It wasn't until we were walking through the park that he decided to make his move._

" _Who was he?" Sebsatian rounded on me as we were passing by trees, people scarce this far into the park._

" _I don't' know Seb."_

" _He was looking at you like he knew you."_

" _Well, I don't know him." This situation was going downhill quickly._

" _ **Don't**_ _lie to me Clary." Sebastian tried to breathe but I could see his hands twitching at his sides._

" _I'm not. I won't." I backtracked but the damage was already done. His temper already flared. He backed me up towards a tree, his forearm pressed up against my throat, the art supplies I'd been carrying now strewn across the ground._

" _I hate when you do this to me Clary, Why do you make me do this?" He sighed, his arm putting pressure against my throat. I was crying, struggling to breathe. He pressed his arm in one final time before letting me go. "Pick up your paints will you, you're so clumsy." He commented as I fell to the floor, scrambling. I hastily put the paints back into my bags, despite my hands trembling. I just wanted to go home._

"Quit it, will you!" I snapped, getting to my feet. Sebastian jumped to my side, his arms enveloping me. I tried to push him back, but tripped backwards on my heels. He caught me mid-fall, pulling me back towards him – his lips desperately pressing themselves against my own as his hand rooted me firmly to the spot. I squirmed against him, biting his lip roughly, drawing blood. He pulled back, wiping the blood from his lip with his thumb casually, smiling.

"Never a dull moment when you're around Clary." He smirked, heading back towards me. I wrapped my arms around my chest defensively but I needn't have bothered. A person shot by me, quick enough to blur completely.

"What did I tell you?!" Jon was screaming, holding Sebastian by his collar. "What did I tell you?!" Sebastian was laughing as Jon's grip tightened around his collar and throat.

"Why so violent Jon?" Sebastian choked. "Really, is there any need…" He trailed off, most likely losing his breath.

"Let him go Jon." I said, trying to pull him back. He didn't seem ready to let up, his jawline hard and firm. The atmosphere wasn't helped by Jordan re-appearing drinks in hand. He looked between Jon and Sebastian, bemused. Jon finally let Sebastian go. Sebastian set about straightening himself up, his face a lovely shade of purple.

"How uncivilised." He smirked as I held onto Jon's arm.

"Don't rise to it." I muttered under my breath.

"Come on – we're going inside." Jon said gruffly, tightening his grip on my arm. I looked apologetically at Jordan as Jon marched me back into the building before rounding on me.

"Why were you out there with him by yourself?" He asked.

"Jon." I started.

"He could have done – anything!"

"Jon – give me a chance to answer your question." I protested. "I was talking to Jordan and then he just appeared! I'll stick to inside from now though." I assured Jon but he didn't look convinced.

It took a good 10 minutes to get him off my back. Once I'd managed to shake him off, I headed over to the buffet table to try and overcome this oncoming drunkness.

 **Jace's POV**

I'd had more drinks than I had intended to but with it being Alec and Magnus' engagement I had plenty excuse. I was sampling a rather strange coloured cocktail, when Jon approached me slamming himself down on the stool next to me.

"I think you need one of these." I passed him a tumbler full of amber liquid. He downed it in one before reaching for another. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sebastard." Jon grumbled into his drink. My attention was peaked.

"What's King Creep done now?" I asked.

"I'm just really frustrated yknow. I just want to be able to do something that wipes that stupid grin from his stupid smug face, once and for all. Short of killing him that is."

I laughed, I couldn't have agreed more.

"He'll slip up. Hopefully without hurting anyone in the process." Both Isabelle and Clary were playing on my mind.

"He kissed her Jace. I told him to stay away from her and he had the outright audacity to try that." My blood was pumping in my ears, my chest rising and falling.

"Is she alright?" Was all I managed to say.

"I'm not sure – I don't want to pry too much because I'll just end up pushing her away. I can't talk about it without getting angry."

"Do you want me to talk to her? I don't mind keeping an eye on her tonight if it helps you out."

"That'd be great mate. If you don't mind that is." I smiled pushing myself back from the bar, scanning the room for Clary.

 **Clary's POV**

The food was fantastic. I was enjoying some pretzels when a hand fell on my shoulder.

"What's safe to eat then?" Jace was stood behind me, his hand still resting on my shoulder. I tried to quickly chew what was in my mouth.

"The pretzels are pretty good. I'd stay away from the BBQ wings though – messy." I commented.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Jon must have told him about what had happened. I nodded.

"Yeah, I've dealt with worse."

"How did he get you alone?" Jace queried as he led me over to a booth not far from the buffet table.

"Jordan was showing me the gardens, then went to get a drink and Sebastian just appeared out of the wild." Jace pulled a face.

"Jordan was showing you the gardens?"

"Yes? The gardens are really nice, they go on forever."

"And Jordan was showing you them?" Jace questioned.

"Yeah, we're just friends." I reminded him. Jace nodded slowly.

"A 'friend' who was showing you the gardens, alone, with alcohol…" He trailed off. I was about to launch into an explanation of how it was completely above board when a smile started playing on the corner of his lips. I hit him lightly in the arm with the back of my hand. I decided to play him back at his own game, he wasn't the only one who could tease.

"I've only got eyes for one person." I smiled, playing with the petticoat of my dress.

"Oh, go on?"

"He's a really nice guy. Little bit of tease sometimes, little bit of a hot-head, very strong-willed. Very, very attractive. Very funny." I smirked as I rested my hand on the inside of his thigh, massaging gently. His gaze fell to my hand before looking up at me, an eyebrow cocked.

"Hey guys!" Isabelle had appeared on the opposite end of the booth, Sebastian in tow. Jace tried to brush my hand away but I kept a firm grip, the idea of being able to do this while Sebastian was there oddly liberating. Isabelle and Sebastian squeezed into the booth. "So are you two like an item now?" Isabelle bubbled, clearly having sampled a few drinks herself over the course of the night. I let Jace answer. Sebastian's face was oddly stern.

"No. I'm keeping her company." Jace said simply, as I squeezed his thigh. His hand grabbed mine, pulling it from his thigh and returning it to my lap. Much to my surprise, his hand stayed with it, his fingers entwining with mine. I squeezed it lightly, placing my other hand on top of his. Isabelle gave us a playfully suspicious look. Sebastian just looked outright unpleased.

"Room for two little ones?" Simon was standing at the edge of the table, the blonde girl with him. Isabelle didn't look overly impressed but scooted along anyway, meaning I was now sat in between Jace and Sebastian. Isabelle between Sebastian and Simon. Jace's hand stayed firmly clasped within mine as I waited for the silence to be broken.

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing, follows and favourites! Really appreciate all of it! All of my love, until the next time! ~Sapph**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hello! A lot of people are curious as to why Clary doesn't just show Isabelle the text messages from Sebastian and I thought I'd address this in this little Author's Note. There's 3 main points within this. 1) Clary tends to delete his messages because just having them on her phone makes her anxious. 2) It is really hard for Clary to talk about what Sebastian has done and is currently doing to her especially when the person she's trying to tell isn't open to hearing what she is wanting to say. 3) Isabelle and Seb being together is currently very vital to my plot – but don't worry Sebastian won't always reign supreme and karma always comes around! I hope that clears things up for you all a little! On with the story!**

"So what happens with the sleeping arrangements? Do we all like bed down in here? Cause I for one didn't bring a sleeping bag." Simon was babbling, the blonde at his side giggling at everything he said, holding onto his arm.

"There's enough rooms for everyone to sleep comfortably Simon. But if you want to bed down here, feel free." Jace smirked, running his fingertips along my palm.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your new friend, Si?" Isabelle asked, squeezing in closer to Sebastian.

"I'm Lily." She smiled, happy to be acknowledged.

"That's Jace, Clary, Isabelle and Sebastian." Simon almost choked on Sebastian's name, but managed to push through. Isabelle was practically in Sebastian's lap as Jace's hand started to cut off the circulation in my own. I pulled it free, resting my elbows at the table. "I'm going to get some drinks, be right back." Simon left the table, heading towards the bar. Conversation was pretty scarce whilst Simon was gone. When he came back, he was carrying a tray full of drinks of all sizes, shapes and colours. "Apparently this is the Magnus' special." Simon commented as he pushed it onto the table.

"That doesn't surprise me in the slightest." Jace added, lifting 2 shots from the tray. He handed one to me before we both downed them. Isabelle tried to pick up a cocktail from the tray but dropped it when she tried to pick it up. Sebastian laughed, wrapping his arms around her but his eyes never moved from Jace. He was deliberately trying to bait him and the way Jace was fidgeting next to me, it must have been working. As the drinks flowed, the behaviour started to get more and more out of hand. It was as though it was a competition. Sebastian was trying to piss Jace off by constantly pulling Isabelle into his lap. Isabelle was trying to piss Simon off by being equally all over Sebastian. The whole thing was giving me a headache. Thankfully Jace and I had the perfect counter for that – alcohol and lots of it. It was quickly becoming the most alcohol I had ever had in my life. The room was starting to thin out a little as people ventured to other rooms.

"Are people leaving?" I questioned Jace. He laughed, the alcohol seeming to affect me more than him.

"Nobody leaves before Magnus' firework display."

"Obviously." I added. Simon and Lily had found their way back to the dancefloor and I had to stifle a laugh watching them. Simon's dance moves were something else, it looked as though he was trying to dislodge a particularly dangerous wedgie. Isabelle and Sebastian must have slunk off whilst we were watching Simon flailing like he was summoning some demon, as they were nowhere to be seen.

"Now I've got you all to myself again." Jace smiled wickedly.

"Are you going to teach me about the hornet's nest?" I tried to keep a straight face but a stray snort snuck out. Jace burst out laughing alongside me.

"Maybe later." He bopped my nose, I wrinkled it in response. "Remember that firework display? It'll be starting soon. Why don't we go get a good spot?"

The fresh air hit me like a wave, making me giggle as I tried to keep my footing.

"Here." Jace removed his jacket, draping it over my shoulders. I pushed my arms through the sleeves having to roll them up considerably just so that I could see my hands. "That looks ridiculous on you." He laughed. I put my hands on my hips, pouting a little.

"How about now?" I asked. He grabbed me around the shoulders, pulling me alongside him.

"Come on, you clown." I followed along still laughing at myself. Quite a few people were already waiting outside, Magnus' 'firework displays' must have been a commonality at his parties. Jace's hand wrapped around my waist as I found myself dancing along. "That booze has fairly given you a bit of life." He commented. I shrugged my shoulders, going back to modelling Jace's coat. He watched me with a judging eyebrow but I could see the smile playing on his lips.

"Where's Si?" I asked eventually as more and more people arrived. Jace craned his neck.

"Haven't the foggiest. Maybe his new girlfriend is off sacrificing him to the devil, lord knows it would explain why she is interest-" I hit him in the arm with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Cruel!" I shouted, trying to make myself taller to look for him myself. Bad idea. I lost my balance swaying forward into Jace. He steadied me wrapping a sturdy arm around my waist once more.

"Hello, you two!" A voice bellowed. "I hope you are looking after my littlest sister!" Jon and Jordan had appeared, arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, beaming widely.

"That's a nice look, Clarrrrrry." Jordan slurred.

"Shhhhh!" Jon overemphasised. "That's my sister." He reached out a hand, ruffling my hair.

"Look! Drinks!" Jordan gestured to a drinks stall that had just been erected. Just like that, they were off in search of more alcohol – not that they needed it. Jace and I exchanged a look, before his fingertips tightened on my waist reminding me they were there. Then I realised why. Sebastian and Isabelle had appeared through the crowd. Sebastian looked sick of his life. I could understand why – Isabelle looked as though she had been throwing up – her face was pale, her dress ruffled.

"Are you alright?" Jace reached out for her, feeling her forehead. Isabelle giggled, nodding as she pulled herself away from Jace and wrapped herself further around Sebastian. It didn't take long for them to be off again – Isabelle just say made it to the flowerbeds and I didn't envy whoever's job it was to clean those up in the morning.

"Are _you_ feeling alright?" Jace double-checked, prompted by Isabelle's sickness. I nodded.

"Where are these fireworks?" I grumbled, starting to lose my buzz. Jace tilted my head up to look at the sky. Mere moments later, it was full of the most wonderful colours, patterns and shimmers. Halfway through the display, Jace pulled me in so that I was stood in front of him as he rested his chin on the top of my head. When the fireworks were starting to die off, Magnus and Alec drifted in our direction. As soon as Magnus' caught sight of us, he smiled at Alec.

"I hope you're not trying to steal our thunder. We can't have two engagements in the same family in such quite succession." Magnus smiled, I felt myself blushing instantly. "I'm joking of course. It's my pleasure to meet you Clary. You and Jace are welcome at our home anytime. I get a good aura from this one Jace, Keep a firm grip." Magnus smirked as he and Alec moved onto the next couple.

"A good aura?" I questioned as we headed down to where the cars were so that I could get my overnight bag.

"Magnus is into all of that. Auras and bad juju." Jace laughed. Jon was already trying to get into the car when we got there, Jordan in tow. The pair of them were falling backwards into each other, laughing like hyenas.

"Can I have the key Jon?" I tried to make myself heard over their laughter.

"Hello Clarissa!" Jordan smiled, as Jon put him into a headlock. Jace shaking his head managed to get the keys from Jon with ease and opened up the boot. He grabbed my bag out, threw the keys back to Jon before heading towards his own car and retrieving his bag. He carried them both as we made our way through the house.

"So what happens now?" I asked, following along beside him.

"Sleep. That's what happens now." Jace laughed, leading me through the room we had been in most of the night. I picked up another drink on my way past, sipping as I followed behind him. "Sleep! Not drinking!" Jace laughed, trying to grab the glass. I managed to manoeuvre under him so that I was walking in front of him. Jace kept have to say left, right, left as we walked along just to keep me going the right way and I got it wrong most of the time anyway. We finally reached a corridor with bedrooms on it. I opened the first door that I came across and had to scoop my jaw up off the floor. I went to turn around, crashing into Jace's chest and falling onto my bum in the room. Simon and Lily were already occupying the room…their clothes having stopped occupying them. A smile spread across Jace's face and I could tell that he was going to make some comment. Placing my hands on his chest, I backed him out of the room.

"I could have had some fun there." Jace said as we headed towards the lift.

"Have some fun tomorrow!" I said as we bundled into the lift, trying to erase what I had just seen from my memory.

"Clary?" Jace said as I rested against the mirror, trying to get that picture out of my head. "Clary?" He repeated. I turned to face him, lifting my eyes.

"Wha-" I responded. I just caught sight of our overnight bags dumped on the floor as Jace's face was up in mine, his lips on mine once again. The ride in the lift was too short for my liking as we found ourselves on the top floor. Jace helped me into the first room we came across. It was like a hotel! Each of the rooms had a mini-fridge with drinks in, a double bed, a sofa, en-suite. It was out of this world.

"They often have clients over." Jace answered the question in my mind when I was looking around the room in awe. As he placed the bags down on the sofa, I reached into the mini fridge. "Hey, hey I don't think you need any of that." He tried to take the bottle out of my hand but I held firm. We struggled a while before I relaxed my grip on the bottle letting him think he'd won before pulling him in towards me. He was taken by surprise as he fell into me. I had expected it to be a lot sexier than this but it ended up with Jace just falling on top of me, me losing my balance and us both lying on the floor killing ourselves laughing.

"Well, that didn't work out quite as I had planned." I laughed as my head started to spin. I spread myself out on the floor, closing my eyes to stop my world spinning. Next thing I knew, Jace was on his feet trying to pull me up by my arms.

"Come on you, you can't sleep on the floor." He got me up on my feet, helping me over to the bed. I sat down on the bed as Jace knelt before me.

"Magnus' wasn't being serious about the proposal y'know." I smirked as Jace shook his head, laughing. He placed his hand on my shoulder pushing me backwards so I fell into the sheets. Jace's true intentions became clear as he untied my shoes, pulling them from my feet. Bringing my bag over to me, he pulled me back up and helped me to my feet.

"Here's your PJ's. I'll be in the bathroom, if you need me." Jace excused himself giving me my privacy. It didn't take long for me to need his help, as I couldn't get the button and zipper on the dress. He came to my aid as soon as I called of him, unfastening my dress before heading back into the bathroom. I managed to pull on my pyjamas before stumbling over to the bathroom to seek out Jace. When he exited the bathroom he was wearing just his dress trousers. He shook his head as he laid eyes on me.

"Lift your arms up." He laughed as he pulled my top over my head before putting it back on the correct way. "Come on Red, time for bed." Jace went to put me into the bed but I hopped up onto it instead. I didn't give Jace much time to react before I jumped into his arms. He just say caught me, as I wrapped my legs around his waist. Jace span himself around, sitting down on the bed as I kept myself wrapped around him. He raised his hand up to my chin, bringing my eyes up to look at his own. He kissed me. Slow, deep and deliberately as his hands caressed my back, pulling me close. "Now it's time to go to bed." Jace smiled as he broke the kiss, bopping me on the nose. Pulling the sheets back, he watched me climb in before tucking me in. He kissed my forehead lightly before heading over to the sofa and curling up himself there. I was confused – why didn't he want to sleep alongside me? Did he think it was moving too fast?

I waited long enough for Jace to be potentially asleep before raising myself in the bed. Pressing my feet against the floor, I padded my way over quietly to where Jace was sleeping. When I got there, I climbed underneath the blanket wrapping my arms around his chest as I buried my face in his back.

"Jesus Clary, you're freezing." Jace muttered, making me aware that he was awake.

"That's what happens when you're forced to sleep all alone…" I trailed off, playing dramatic. Jace sighed, sitting up. He scooped me up easily, carrying me back over to the bed. He held me in one arm, pulling the sheets back with the other before placing me down. This time, he made his way to the other side and climbed in alongside me. He lay on his back, pulling me into his chest. I wrapped my arms around him as I nuzzled my face so that I was tucked in just under his chin. His arms held me tightly until I fell asleep. It was the first undisturbed night I had had in a long while.

 **Thank you to everyone who reads, reviews, follows & favourites! I really hope you guys are liking where this story is going! All of my love, until the next time. ~Sapph**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hello everybody! I do believe I owe you all an apology. I lost my way with this story a little bit. I wasn't sure where I was going with it anymore. Every idea I had, I scrapped. I think it's because I was trying to rush into Isabelle finding out about Sebastian's true nature when realistically it would kill any drama this story has. After re-reading the whole story, I think I've finally gotten myself to a good place and Isabelle isn't going to find out for a little while yet (sorry). I hope you enjoy this story all the same. Let me know what you think!**

I awoke the next morning feeling a lot fresher than I thought I would. Jace was still asleep, one of his arms wrapped tightly around me, the other tucked and folded behind his head. Stretching out my legs, I tucked myself in closer to Jace, hooking one of my legs around him. Getting myself comfortable, I must have fallen back asleep. I woke up again an hour or so later to see Jace looking right at me as I cuddled into his chest.

"Comfortable?" He questioned, looking down at me. I tucked my knees up to my chest, muttering 'mhmm'. "Feeling the effects of last night?"

"Not really." My voice came out scratchy. I cleared my throat.

"And you remember everything?"

"I think so?" Now I come to think of it, I wasn't entirely sure. "The important bits anyway." I turned my face towards his chest to stop myself blushing. Jace tilted my head towards him.

"Don't hide." He whispered, his fingertips skirting underneath my chin, so that he could look into my eyes. He delivered a handful of small kisses to my lips before he pulled back. "What are you planning on doing today?"

"I **need** to see Simon." I laughed, trying to sit up. "I have to know what went on there." Jace helped me into a sitting position. My head was still a little woozy, the room staggering. Jace was quick to notice, grabbing me a bottle of water from the mini-fridge.

"I'm glad you said that actually. I need to catch up with Isabelle and with Jon. I'm praying your brother doesn't remember a certain kiss that happened last night…" Jace trailed off.

"Us?" I gestured, looking up at him confused. He shook his head and suddenly the thoughts came back. "Ohhh." I flushed red, feeling a little sick.

"Don't get embarrassed. You weren't in the wrong." Jace was quick to my defence.

"I know. It's just – gross." I shuddered thinking about it.

"We can agree on that one. You know what else is gross – what I saw in Simon's room last night." Jace teased as he hunted out our overnight bags.

"Aww don't Jace! He'll get upset if he finds out someone saw him!" I protested. Jace looked at me devilishly.

"Alas the poor fool who leaves his bedroom door unlocked." I gave him a judging look as I sipped my water. "Or, I won't say anything." He resigned.

It took us a while to get ready, but we had a good excuse. That is if you can use kissing as an excuse. We parted ways on Simon's floor as I set out in search of him. Finding the room that I had spotted him in last night, I made a silent prayer that he would be decent before knocking on the door. Thankfully when he answered he was dressed as he would be on any other given day. I raised my eyebrow at him and couldn't help but smile as I walked into his room. His friend must have already left as the room was empty. I nearly choked when I saw what was resting on the nightstand.

"Simon Lewis, you devil!" I shrieked, rounding on him. "You fiend!" I laughed, as Simon caught sight of where I was going and quickly picked up the wrapper, throwing it into the bin.

"It's not what it looks like." He tried to backtrack but his ears were going bright red and that was a usual tell that he was fibbing.

"Liar!" I laughed, resting my bag on his bed. I went to sit down before thinking twice about it. "Is there anywhere untainted that I can sit?" I smirked as Simon's embarrassment finally broke into laughter.

"Fine, you got me." He shrugged, smiling.

"As if you were going to try and keep this from me anyway!" I shouted, throwing a pillow from the bed at him. He reacted late, taking it to the face. "So, are you going to see her again?"

"What do you think I am Clary?" He laughed, putting the pillow back into its rightful place. "I don't just hump and dump. I'm taking her out on Monday." He smiled, blushing lightly this time.

"Aw Si! I'm so pleased for you." I smiled, giving him a hug around the middle. "You have showered right?" I asked as I was pressed up against his chest. He went to push me away. "I'm kidding!" He joined in my laughter as he wrapped his arms around me, returning the hug.

"I'm surprised to see you if I'm honest." Simon admitted once I let go of him.

"How so?" I asked as I helped him gather up his things.

"I thought you'd be with Jace. Doing uh – similar things." Simon laughed.

"No, no. None of that."

"I don't know whether I believe that Clarissa." Simon was studying me, looking for tells.

"We slept in the same bed Si, and that's about it. None of your next level stuff." I smirked.

Once all of Simon's things had been gathered, which included his old underpants which had somehow managed to make it on top of the wardrobe, we headed down to find Jon. He wasn't anywhere obvious, so Simon went to look around the halls for him seeing as my feet were already aching from the night before. I waited next to the car. I noticed Jace's car was already gone. I propped myself against the bonnet, waiting. Car after car passed by, guests from the night previous returning to their homes. Only one car stopped and pulled into the bay next to me. The window wound down and Sebastian was sat beaming at me from the front seat, aviators adorning his eyes.

"Need a ride?" He offered, patting the seat next to him. I shook my head, pushing myself closer to Jon's car.

"No thank you, I'm waiting for my brother." Sebastian smiled, taking the glasses from his face.

"Last I saw of him, he was in no fit state to drive. He may have overdone it with the alcohol last night." He commented. "He wasn't the only one to overdo it though. Isabelle really aims to please doesn't she?" I felt myself tense up, as I kept myself looking away from him. "I'm guessing you don't want to hear the details? Are you sure? Isabelle and I visited places last night Clary that I've only ever dreamed of going to with you. Are you sure you don't need a ride?" He asked, no doubt a grin on his face.

"I'm sure." I muttered quietly as I heard the window zoom back into place. Moments later he was passing me as he turned out of the garage and drove off. _He had to be bluffing. He_ _ **had**_ _to be bluffing._ I felt sick to my stomach at the thought. _Could I reach out to Isabelle? Would she think I was just prying? What on earth would Jace think?_

Simon returned a few minutes later with Jon and Jordan at his side. Apparently he had found them curled up in bed together, most likely where Sebastian had seen them when he had been looking for Jordan.

"Are you alright to drive?" I probed Jon as he stretched his arms above his head, yawning.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired. You need a ride mate?" Jon asked Jordan, who quickly accepted. Simon and I hopped into the back as Jordan took shotgun. "Did Jace keep an eye on you last night?" Jon asked as we were pulling out of the garage. I nodded my head.

"Have you seen him this morning?" I asked Jon. He shook his head which worried me. Jace must have found Isabelle and went straight home. _What if Sebastian was telling the truth? What if he and Isabelle had – oh god._ My phone buzzed in my pocket and I was quick to flick it open, raising an eyebrow when I read it.

 **Simon: What's up? You've went pale. Paler than usual and that's saying something.**

I shot him a glance but he was looking out of the window with his phone in hand.

 **Clary: Nothing – just something Sebastian said. He's probably just trying to get into my head.**

 **Simon: Tell me anyway?**

 **Clary: He was hinting that he and Isabelle had gotten up to similar activities as yourself last night.**

I tried to word it the best I could. I caught sight of Simon's face, he looked normal.

 **Simon: Isabelle can handle herself. You've tried to warn her, she didn't listen. You can't make her choices for her.**

 **Clary: I should have told her the extent of it. Or let Jace tell her.**

Simon was physically shaking his head.

 **Simon: Stop blaming yourself. People make decisions for themselves.**

 **Clary: I guess you're right.**

 **Simon: I'm always right. I know just what you need to cheer you up.**

 **Clary: What's that?**

Simon had put his phone back in his pocket so it didn't look like he was going to tell me just yet. Jon dropped Simon and me off at home before he took Jordan to wherever he was going. Simon beat me up the stairs and was raiding my bathroom by the time I got there.

"Can I ask what you're doing?" I said, as he pulled out razors and all sorts.

"We're going to have a pamper session. I know your goodies are around here somewhere. A-ha!" He proclaimed as he pulled out a couple of gift sets I'd been given for Christmas. We spent the next few hours using various lotions on our hands and feet before we cabbaged ourselves out resting against the bed, a facemask on each of our faces. Simon looked at me, only his eyes visible under his chocolate face mask.

"You know I was thinking…" Simon trailed off.

"You can do that?" I smirked and he nudged my shoulder.

"I'm going to say something nice actually!" Simon grunted, crossing his arms trying to look at me agitated. He took one look at my bright green face and burst out laughing. "I was just about to say that I'd rather this than a big house any day." I smiled at him.

"Me too." We sat there a while, watching junk tv before washing off our face masks. Whatever benefit they were supposed to be for we didn't see. We were both just extremely red faced.

"I hope this goes down in time for my date…" Simon laughed.

"Where are you taking her?" I asked, sitting on my bed.

"I was going to ask for help with that actually." All I could look back on was my experiences with Jace.

"Either somewhere fun or a nice restaurant."

"Good shout."

Simon left a few hours later and I was still feeling oddly sick. Maybe this was part of the hangover? Dressing myself in a pair of jogging bottom and a loose fitting t-shirt, I decided to go out for a walk to try and get rid of the sensation. Just as I was pulling on my converse at the door, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

 **Isabelle: If Jace messages you and asks where I am, will you tell him I'm with you? We've had a big fight.**

 **Clary: Why? What's happened?**

I made my way out of the house, keeping my phone firmly in my hand. As I was waiting for a reply from Isabelle, I received a text from Jace.

 **Jace: Need to speak to you. Are you at your place?**

 **Clary: I'm out. What's up?**

It seemed to be taking them forever to reply. I'd made it all the way down to the park without receiving one reply. Finally my phone vibrated once more.

 **Isabelle: Jace has found out that Sebastian and I are boyfriend and girlfriend. He's not happy about it.**

 **Clary: So where are you actually going…?**

I wasn't entirely sure where I was going. I was just walking and walking. No matter how far or fast I walked, the sick feeling was still in my stomach. Painfully so. I'd walked a length of the park before I received another message.

 **Jace: Where are you Clary, it's urgent. I'm at your house?**

 **Clary: I said that I'm out? What's the matter?**

Seating myself on a park bench, I debated heading back.

 **Isabelle: Going to be with Sebastian. He understands me Clary.**

I debated with myself for a minute for an answer.

 **Clary: I think you should go home Iz, How well do you really know Sebastian?**

 **Isabelle: You're just jealous! It's getting really damn annoying now Clary actually! Me and Sebastian made a promise to each other last night – so back off!**

I couldn't argue with her over text. Trying to call her, it went immediately to her voicemail.

 **Jace: For goodness sake man Clary! This is urgent and you're messing me about!**

 **Clary: I'm in the park, one minute.**

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Jace's car was the first thing that I saw once I emerged. I walked over, opening the door and looking at him. He looked pretty agitated.

"Is this about Isabelle?"

"Have you seen her?"

"No, she was messaging me, saying she's going to see Sebastian." Jace smacked his hands on the steering wheel. "What's going on?" I questioned, going to get in the car.

"Don't bother getting in Clary. I need to go and find her. Did you know that she'd slept with him? How could I let this happen? How could you let this happen?" Jace trailed off, starting the engine. I closed the car door as he took off quite quickly. I stood for a while just looking at my house before I turned on my heel and headed back towards the park, that sickly feeling a lot more apparent now.

 **Thank you to everyone who reads my stories! Let me know what you think! All my love, until next time. ~Sapph**


	30. Chapter 30

I don't know how long I went walking for, I didn't pay attention. When I got home, my entire family was waiting for me in the living room. As soon as I closed the door behind me, my dad ran from his station in the living room doorway.

"Thank god Clary! Where've you been?!" He rushed to me, holding me close to him. "You're freezing." He muttered under his breath, rubbing my arms. Jon appeared next, a look of relief on his face. My mother was the last to appear and she looked livid.

"What are you playing at Clary?" She questioned, rubbing her temples.

"Sorry." I muttered. "I lost track of time."

"Where've you been Clary? Do you even know what time it is?" My mother said, gesturing to the clock. I cast a glance behind me. 1am. No wonder they were furious with me, I'd left the house 5 hours ago.

"I went for a walk around the park." I said honestly. I just felt completely at a loss. Jace was completely right. I should have done something. I should have stopped things from turning out this way. They lectured me for a little bit longer before sending me up to my room. I happily obliged. I fell asleep almost instantly and when I awoke the next morning I wasn't in bed alone. Simon was sitting at the foot of my bed, looking at me concerned.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. It came out a little harsher than I had originally intended.

"Jon came to get me this morning. He said you'd been out until stupid o clock this morning- where were you? Fighting vampires?" Simon tried to make me laugh.

"I went to the park to clear my head and then it all kicked off with Isabelle." I muttered, tucking my duvet under my chin. Simon joined me under the sheets, resting his head on my shoulder.

"What happened?"

"Isabelle and Jace had an argument. She must have thrown the fact her and Sebastian had slept together in Jace's face. She asked me if I would cover for her if she went to Sebastian's. I warned her about him and now she's not talking to me."

"Oh."

"And then Jace turned up and asked where she was so I told him. Then he basically said that I should have kept her away from Sebastian and now he's not talking to me. So overall, quite a successful night." I moaned, rolling onto my back. "I wish I had been fighting vampires. No doubt it would have been easier."

"Everyone needs to realise just how hard this is on you Clary. What are you expected to do, run around and tell everyone your business so that they'll stop making stupid choices? At the end of the day, you told Izzy that he was bad news and she preferred to believe him over you. That was her choice. My opinion is that the more they try and turn her away from Sebastian, the more she's going to run to him. I know I'm the same. Whenever my Mom's like 'Simon! You're having something proper to eat tonight, no takeaway!' I'm suddenly like 'but I really fricking want takeaway!' The more you try and tell someone that something is wrong, the more they want to try it. Sooner Jace realises that and stops acting like a turd the better."

"Did you just call him a 'turd'?"

"What of it?" I laughed at his response. He was right. The decision was in Isabelle's hands now and no one could change what had happened before now. Grabbing my phone, I penned a message to Jace.

 **Clary: Do you want to talk about yesterday? Did you get Isabelle sorted?**

Simon left an hour later, his mother was making him Sunday lunch. I sat amongst my sheets, waiting on a reply from Jace. Waiting on a reply that would never come. He hadn't even responded by the next morning. I got up early and dressed quite plainly. I just couldn't be bothered. Walking down for breakfast, Jon gave me a hesitant look.

"Are you ill, Clary? You look really pale." He asked, eating cheerios.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking." I smiled lightly before grabbing my bag and heading out for school. Jon tried to bully me into getting a lift but I told him I would prefer to walk. By the time I made it to the school I'd missed form class and had to register at the front desk. The rest of the day passed by in a blur, I don't even remember what lessons I had. Then before I knew it, art. The staple feature of my Mondays. I sat myself down at the table, grabbed a piece of paper, put my head down and started sketching. I heard the chairs scrap out a few moments later, people sitting in them, conversation in the air.

"Your dorm is filthy though, you can tell you're both art students!" Isabelle laughed, Jordan and Sebastian joining in. The giggles were going through me like nails on a chalkboard and part of me just wanted to scream to the classroom who Sebastian was and every single thing that he had done to me.

"Are you wearing your present?" Sebastian questioned Isabelle. Giggles once more. I cast a quick glance from the corner of my eye and caught sight of a thin bracelet entwined around her wrist.

 _-Flashback-_

" _I've got you something really nice, close your eyes." Sebastian smiled, rummaging in his drawers. I closed them tight, my heart was racing and my skin was shivering even though it was the middle of summer. My hands were clamped on my knees as I sat on the edge of his bed. I didn't dare move. Not until he told me too. My heart almost stopped when he reached out and grabbed my hand, placing it on top of a box. "Open." He said and I opened my eyes slowly. My hands were holding a jewellery box as Sebastian rested on his knees inches away from me. Inside was a silver necklace which Sebastian immediately took from the case and wrapped it around my neck, standing behind me as he fastened it. He was whispering words of love but all I could think about was how his hands had rested around my throat earlier that day, how his fingers had clamped down and stolen my breath from me. As he turned me to face him with rough hands, all I could recall was the way he had grabbed my waist and dug his fingers in, the bruises that remained there, the pain that filled me every time I sat down. His eyes drank me in as he smiled._

" _You look so beautiful Clary." His lips collided with my own as I stood solid, counting down the minutes until I could go home._

"Is everything alright Clary?" Jordan was trying to catch my eye, resting on the table so that our faces were near level. I nodded lightly, before turning my head to face away from the group, sketching once more. A short while passed and everyone was continuing on with the art projects. Isabelle didn't even look in my direction. Sebastian however did more than usual. A sly smirk rested on his lips as he watched me over Isabelle's shoulder the entire time. He knew that Jace and I had fought. Had it been part of his plan? My phone vibrated and I quickly checked it underneath the table.

 **Jace: Still working on it. Need some time. Sorry.**

It wasn't the answer I was looking for. I paid very little attention to what the other three were doing at the table and rose slowly from my seat once the bell to signify the end of the day rang. Isabelle and Sebastian were already walking ahead, her arm linked with his. I gathered my things in silence and made a beeline for the door. Jordan hung back and caught up with me.

"Upset about your fight with Isabelle?" Jordan asked and I was taken aback by his bluntness.

"So you know all about it?" I muttered, rearranging my bag over my shoulder.

"Oh yes, Isabelle spoke at length about it last night. Not really fair of her to make you lie for her like that." Jordan admitted, slowing his pace to walk alongside me.

"So she stayed with you guys then?"

"I uh- stayed with some pals down the hall. They wanted the room. If you catch my drift." Jordan looked uncomfortable. I felt sick to my stomach.

"Delightful." I managed to say. We reached the exit and I just caught sight of Jace walking slightly ahead of me. He didn't turn around, his eyes focussed on Sebastian and Isabelle who were walking just in front of him. Sebastian helped Isabelle into his car as Jace skirted around them and climbed into his own. His eyes caught sight of me as he turned on the ignition, he looked at me questioningly.

"So are you busy tonight?" Jordan asked as I pulled my eyes away from Jace.

"I think so." I said simply as Jace shook his head, driving away after Sebastian and Isabelle.

"Trouble in paradise?" He questioned as I sighed.

"Is it really that obvious?" I moaned, holding onto the strap of my bag.

"Just a little. Are you sure that you're still busy tonight? I'm getting that tattoo tonight and you're more than welcome to come with me. Maybe I can help you out with your issue? Whatever you say will be between me you and my tattooist." He smirked. I looked at him, still undecided. "Come on, it'll be a laugh."

"Fine." I sighed. Sitting in a tattoo parlour was preferable to getting myself lost in a park. Climbing into Jordan's car, we headed over to his dorms first so that he could dump his art supplies.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in?" He asked.

"Are Sebastian and Isabelle in there?"

"Most likely." He responded.

"Then, I'm great here." I smiled, settling into the car. Jordan shrugged, signalling he would be a few minutes before heading into the building. Looking at my hands, I nearly jumped out of my skin when my phone vibrated.

 **Jace: Jordan then?**

 **Clary: It's not like that Jace, he's a friend.**

 **Jace: Yeah looks like it, that's why you're at his dorms?**

I looked around confused until I caught sight of Jace's car parked under the shade of some trees. Hopping out of Jordan's car, I headed over to Jace's. Knocking on the glass, he looked at me unamused before winding it down.

"Are you actually going to talk to me?"

"We messed up Clary. We got ourselves so concerned with what was going on with us, we let Isabelle get into bed, quite literally, with a proven abusive guy. How can you not feel guilty about that?"

"I **tried** to warn her off him Jace. She wouldn't have it. I've had enough of feeling guilty because of other people. When I was with Sebastian, all I felt was guilt. Guilt for wearing clothes that didn't cover up 90% of skin, guilt for talking to people who weren't approved, guilt for overstepping my mark. Guilt for not telling Jon. Then guilt for telling Jon. Now I feel guilt for letting Isabelle fall for Sebastian. Guilt for not telling someone. Guilt for having not had Sebastian locked up already. Guilt for agreeing to go to a tattoo parlour with Jordan. Guilt for upsetting you. Guilt for ruining this. Can you see why I've had it up to my eyeballs with guilt Jace? I'm **done** feeling guilty over things I have no control over. Sitting outside of Sebastian's dorms like a stalker is not going to make you feel any less guilty yourself because you have nothing to feel guilty for in the first place. Isabelle is old enough to make her own choices and from what I can tell from their relationship, the worst Isabelle is going to leave with is a broken heart." After my rant, I felt immediately embarrassed and crossed the street back to Jordan's car. Jace didn't attempt to follow me and when Jordan came back five minutes later, Jace's car was gone from the street.

"Everything alright? You look flushed?" Jordan asked, strapping himself in.

"I'm fine thanks." I smiled, as Jordan started the car.

"It's probably a good job you didn't come upstairs."

"How so?"

"They're arguing. Well kind of snapping at each other. Isabelle was on the phone to her brother to come and get her when I left." I nodded in my head. Jace must have just done a lap of the building as he came back around front to collect Isabelle from the doorway. Jordan was backing out of the car park as Isabelle climbed in, hugging Jace in the front seat before strapping herself in. _Had she finally realised what he was like? Or had they just argued for some trivial reason?_

The tattoo parlour was practically empty when we arrived. The tattooist was a hulking man who was covered from the neck down in art. He readied Jordan on the table, stencilling the image onto his chest. I sat myself down in the chair available and watched on. Once the tattoo started, Jordan didn't even flinch.

"So – do you want to talk about Jace?" Jordan asked, reclining his head on his hands. I shook my head.

"What's to talk about? Whatever was going on with us he clearly doesn't want anymore – too much of a distraction from the things that actually **matter** in his life."

"I'm not so sure, the guy seems pretty sold on you."

"That's not the impression I'm getting anymore." I shrugged. The door to the shop jingled but I didn't look over.

"Jordan I'm hurt! I thought I was your tattoo buddy!" Sebastian had walked into the parlour and was acting wounded.

"Sorry pal, I got a better offer." He smirked as I kept my eyes firmly trained in on the tattoo gun. Sebastian pulled up a seat next to me and instinctively I moved mine slightly away.

"I thought I'd had a better offer but then I remembered the joys of dating younger girls. Never happy." Sebastian tutted. I rolled my eyes and bit my lip to stop myself making a comment.

"You should have held back on the bedding mate. Always causes problems."

"You're telling me. I may take a vow of celibacy."

"The world shall rejoice." I muttered under my breath. "I think I'm going to go now, seeing as you've got someone else to sit with you." I grabbed my bag, adjusting it over my shoulder.

"Do you need a lift home?" Sebastian offered. I laughed out loud.

"No, I'm fine thank you." I bid Jordan farewell and made my way home. Jon was stressing out in his room when I got back.

"Something the matter?" I questioned as I was on my way to my room. He indicated for me to come inside.

"Jace had to go and pick Isabelle up from Sebastian's earlier."

"Okay?" I said.

"She was upset and she won't tell Jace what happened. He's really worried about her. Do you think Sebastian would hurt her like he uh – hurt you?" Jon asked.

"You'd have to ask Isabelle." I muttered briefly before leaving his room. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I penned a quick message to Isabelle.

 **Clary: Are you okay?**

It took a while for a reply to come through but when it did, it nearly drove me to tears.

 **Isabelle: Why do you care? It's all your fault.**

 **Thank you for reading! I appreciate each and every one of you. All my love, until the next time. ~Sapph**


	31. Chapter 31

I threw my phone across the room. It bounced off the dressing table, across the flooring bouncing as it went. It finally gave one last bounce before coming to rest underneath the bed. I wanted to scream. Grabbing my pillow, I started throwing it against my bed. Once I was out of breath, I threw the pillow to one side and collapsed on the floor. I'd went from having everything I could have possibly wanted – a blossoming relationship with a great guy, unrivalled friendships and a supporting family. It was all crumbling away. Sebastian had done it again. He was stealing everything from right under my feet. Pulling the carpet out from under me. I curled up on the floor, tucking my knees up against my chin as I fell into an uneasy sleep.

 _Mum was visiting Dad and I had the house to myself. The doorbell rang and I put my pencil down, heading towards it. I'd changed into a polka-dot playsuit once I'd gotten home from school seeing as the weather was so good. Opening the door, Sebastian was stood there with a bottle of spirit in one hand, a holdall in the other. He kissed my cheek lightly as he came in, heading straight for the kitchen. When I followed him in, he already had two tumblers out on the breakfast bar and was on unscrewing the spirit._

" _It's a little early for alcohol isn't it?"_

" _It's a weekend. Where's the harm?" Sebastian was smiling as he filled the glasses. I didn't want to drink but Sebastian wanted to and that was all that mattered. Maybe I'd save myself an argument. Maybe he'd pass out drunk and I'd escape any pent up anger he had. It was worth a shot. He toasted us as we drank. The bottle didn't last long. I must have had a quarter of the bottle, while Sebastian had the rest. He was getting very touchy, his hands resting on top of my kneecap as we were watching a horror movie. I could feel his hand slowly tracing up my leg, his nails nipping at the skin in their wake. My eyes were firmly trained on the television, Sebastian's hands making me more on edge about the horror movie we were watching. A jumpscare was all it took for me to jump out of my skin and for Sebastian to take advantage._

" _It's alright baby, come here." He muttered, pulling me into him. I tried to wriggle from his grasp but he held me tightly, pushing me underneath him as he rested his weight on me. His lips were on my throat, on my neck and spreading further down my chest. His hands were fumbling at my waist, trying to undo my dress._

" _No. Stop." I pressed against him to try and get him off but he just seemed to take it as motivation. His hand slipped up the short part of my playsuit, rubbing the inside of my thigh. Hands on his chest, I tried to push him away from me, tears starting to form in my eyes. His mouth was becoming more desperate, his teeth scraping against my skin, his lips sucking hard and making me wince. After an agonising five minutes, I finally managed to push him off me. He rolled off laughing, looking up at the ceiling._

" _I think tonight's the night." He muttered to himself before he fell asleep._

And I awoke, screaming. The hairs on my neck were standing straight on end, my face was covered in a mixture of sweat and tears as I lay curled up in a ball on the floor. No one had heard me scream because no one came running. Grabbing my duvet, I pulled it onto the floor with me making myself a little cocoon. I was about to fall back asleep when I heard laughter. Familiar laughter. It was Jace. Lifting myself slowly from the floor, I made my way to the door and prised the door open silently. I squeezed through the gap and headed down the hallway towards the laughter. It was definitely Jace. He was in Jon's room and they were playing a game of some sort. I pressed myself up against the wall and listened in for a moment.

"I'm assuming everything's fine with Isabelle now? You know where I am if you need help crushing Sebastian's face." Jon muttered.

"She'll be fine. It's just keeping her away from him. I wish she'd never met him in the first place."

"I feel the same way about Clary."

"How is Clary?" Jace asked and my ears prickled.

"Not good." Jon said simply. "Something is up with her. She's not eating properly, not sleeping properly, staying out late."

"Sorry to hear that." Jace said simply. It wasn't the answer I was hoping for. He didn't even seem bothered. Sulking back off towards my room, I started running the bath. Slipping my body under the water, I rested my head against the back panel and closed my eyes.

 _His hands were up my shirt, pawing at my skin. They reached the bottom of my bra and I pulled away quickly, pushing him back from me. He grunted as his hand sprang to my throat, putting pressure on it as he dragged himself further up my body, his lips smashing into my own. And I couldn't breathe. I was choking. Drowning._

I pushed myself from the water, coughing deeply as I wiped the water out of my eyes. I breathed heavily as I tried to catch my breath. I sat there in the water until it went cold, contemplating. There were so many unresolved issues. Determined, I climbed from the bath and headed into my bedroom. Searching under the bed, I pulled out my phone and opened up a message to Sebastian. I must have started and erased it four or five times before I decided on the wording.

 **Clary: Hi Sebastian. It's me, Clary. We need to talk. Properly. About everything. Can we meet tomorrow?**

I didn't have to wait long for a reply.

 **Sebastian: Sounds perfect. How about we skip out on school and meet on main-street?**

 **Clary: 10 o clock?**

 **Sebastian: Sounds perfect. See you there.**

I couldn't sleep the entire night. Part of me was kicking myself for agreeing to do this but the other half was telling myself that I'd done the right thing. All of these nightmares. All of the fear. I needed to face it. I needed Sebastian to know exactly what he had done to me and just how much it had hurt. I waited for Jace and Jon to leave for school before I got myself up. I dressed myself in a pair of black skinny jeans and a loose fitting t-shirt. Placing my phone in my pocket, I headed out of the house and over towards main-street. The closer I got, the more my heart jumped into my throat. I couldn't see him standing anywhere but I was ten minutes early. Just as I reached the spot where he had been doing his portraits, I saw his car parked in the alleyway. He flashed his lights at me before driving up to meet me. He wound his window down, and smiled at me, sunglasses adorning his face.

"You getting in?" He asked.

"That wasn't the deal." I spluttered.

"Do you really want to have this conversation out in public?" He asked, resting his sunglasses on his nose. I sighed, walking around the car. _He was right of course._ Opening the door, I climbed in beside him, buckling myself in. He smiled, pushing his sunglasses back up. Once he started driving, I had no idea where he was going. He turned his music up loud, singing along to Journey and Aerosmith. I watched him out of the corner of my eye. It was no wonder that I had been attracted to him at the start. Anyone would be. Seeing him like this reminded me of good times but I'd never let my guard down. Never let him worm his way in. He stopped his car at a park, a good half an hour drive away from main-street. As soon as the engine died, he removed his sunglasses, stashing them in the compartment of the door.

"I hope you realise that Jordan and Isabelle will be talking about us." Sebastian commented as he unbuckled himself. I was starting to feel really closed in and grabbed the car door, opening it and climbing out. Sebastian copied me. "There's no need to be in such a rush Clary." We started walking towards the park. Now that I was here, I wasn't at all sure how to start this conversation.

"I don't love you anymore Sebastian." I said finally. He put his hands in his pockets, walking alongside me.

"But you did love me."

"I did."

"And you could again." Sebastian said simply.

"Not after what happened Sebastian. You _know_ what I'm talking about." I sighed, starting to feel emotional.

"You need to give me a chance to fix it."

"There's no fixing it. You took advantage of me." I could feel the tears threatening to fall.

"I _loved_ you Clary. I worshipped you. You're my soulmate."

"Sebastian, you really hurt me. It's too painful. I need you to realise that we're never going to be like we were. You need to stop tying Isabelle up in your game. She doesn't deserve to get hurt."

"She's a nice girl." Sebastian said bluntly, staring ahead.

"You need to get help for your issues before you start dating."

"I don't have issues Clary."

"So why did you do those things you did to me?"

"What did I do Clary? What is it you're wanting explanation for?"

"You put your hands on me on many occasions. Regardless of what you say, you did try to force yourself onto me sexually."

"I love you too much. That's my problem. I want all of you, all of the time. I'm too passionate. I'm sorry if I hurt you. I only meant to make you know how loved you were." I was getting nowhere. He didn't see fault in the way he had acted, he was blind to it. Maybe in his deluded mind he actually believed that we had had a perfect relationship.

"Any love that you have for me, you need to bury. Our relationship is over and it's not happening again. I can't physically go through that again." Sebastian was twitching at my side and getting irate.

"You can't just rule us out." He stopped walking, walked in front of me and rested his hands on my elbows. "The way I feel about you Clary. I can't just turn it off. Yes I slept with Isabelle but it meant nothing. She means nothing to me."

"It's not you having sex with Isabelle that I have issue with." I shook my head, not pulling away from him because I was scared he'd grab me harder. "It's the way you treat me. I didn't come here to argue with you Sebastian. I came to talk." I was aware that my phone was vibrating in my pocket and went to reach for it.

"Leave it." Sebastian said. I looked at him questioningly.

"I should really get it."

"It'll just be Jace. He can wait."

"It won't be." I muttered, searching for my phone. Sebastian's hands rested over my own, pulling them from my bag.

"I'm sick of him coming in on our time together. I'm sick of him in general. I bet you've given him your virginity. Is that why you're so hung up on him?"

"Sebastian! I don't want to talk about that."

"You have. I should have known you would have." He grumbled, storming towards a tree. His fist impacted with it and I flinched.

"I haven't." I muttered as he came storming back, blood pooling on his knuckles. His aggression at a high, he grabbed my face in between his hands and kissed me firmly, trying to part my lips with his tongue. I tried to pull away which proved extremely difficult. Finally, I broke the connection. "Just stop Sebastian. This isn't going anywhere." He nodded angrily.

"Neither are you then." He muttered. "You will see sense about this Clary. One way or the other." I watched as he headed back to the car and tried to follow him. Once he had climbed in, he locked the doors and wound his window down. "Text me if you change your mind." With that, he reversed and drove away from the park. For a split second I thought he was going to do a lap of the block and come back. Twenty minutes passed and he was still gone. Sighing to myself, I felt relieved that I'd worn flat shoes and started what was bound to be the long walk home.

I checked my phone from before, as I made a note to also check my battery life.

 **Jon: Jace said Isabelle said you weren't in first period. Are you okay?**

I didn't bother replying to the he-said, she-said. Checking my battery, I realised I only had 20%. This was going to be a long, boring walk home.

 **Thanks for reading! Reviews warm my heart. All of my love, until next time. ~Sapph**


	32. Chapter 32

**Thank you for joining me for another instalment of Perfection Incarnate! Let's join Clary on her trek home from wherever the hell Sebastian dumped her.**

I decided to conserve my phone's energy by turning off every app, turning down the brightness and shoving it into my pocket. It was starting to get chilly. I checked the time on my phone. 1 o clock. School would be out soon. Jon had messaged me again.

 **Jon: Are you alright C? x**

I didn't answer. I didn't want him to know where I had been. I'd been walking for an hour and hadn't gotten anywhere fast. My phone vibrated in my pocket once more.

 **Sebastian: I made it back for Art – where are you?**

I roughly placed my phone back in my pocket. _As if he was taking the piss out of me. He knew fine well where I was. Walking along a strange road, freezing my arse off._ I didn't even know if I was walking in the right direction for the most part. I was going off the signs. Thirty minutes later, a little more stretch of road walked and I had another message.

 **Jon: You're really starting to worry me now.**

 **Jace's POV**

Jon came rushing up to me when the final bell rang, his face flushed of colour. He was twitchin, anxiously.

"You alright mate?" I asked, as Jon grabbed my arm and pulled me out towards the exit. "Jesus Jon, what's the matter?"

"It's Clary. I still can't get in contact with her. Have you seen her?" I shook my head. I hadn't seen an awful lot of Clary over the last few days. I'd been working through some things. Things that I couldn't see or work out clearly if I was wrapped up with Clary. She consumed all of my attention, not through her own fault, more through my own fault. I offered to quickly drive Jon home, to check if Clary was there. Jon told me about how he'd been messaging her since I'd passed along Isabelle's message. He came out of the house five minutes later with a frown on his face.

"No luck?" I asked, he shook his head.

"I've got a bad feeling about this Jace."

 **Clary's POV**

My legs were aching. My feet were aching. And then the heavens opened. Rain poured heavily and I scolded myself for not wearing a coat. Around three hours after I'd started walking, I finally started recognising where I was. Still, it was nowhere near home. My hair was hanging down limply, soaked. My arms were glazed with raindrops as I tried to pick up my pace, cursing Sebastian underneath my breath. A group of guys drove past me honking their horn and jeering out of the window. _That's right, make fun of the girl who came out in the rain without a coat._ 30 minutes later I reached main street and the relief of being twenty minutes from home set in. Yes I was frozen to the bone but being close to home made it feel a lot easier to deal with. I was already imagining sinking into a hot bath. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine the water rushing around me. The warmth flooding through my body and warming me to my core. Walking along my street was agonising. Every step seemed to take every ounce of effort and once I crossed the threshold of my house, I broke down in tears. My legs were like jelly as I ascended the staircase, stripping off my clothes as I went. By the time I reached my bathroom, I was just wearing my socks. I willed the bath to run faster, charging my phone as I waited. I decided to finally respond to Jon.

 **Clary: I'm home. Sorry to worry you.**

His reply was instantaneous.

 **Jon: Where on earth have you been Clary?**

 **Clary: I'm home now.**

I also had a message from Sebastian. I flicked it open angrily.

 **Sebastian: Do you need me to come get you?**

 **Clary: No. I managed myself. Thanks a lot.**

After I'd soaked in the water long enough for my skin to return to relatively human colour, I wrapped my robe around myself and tucked myself in bed. I was already running a fever and sneezing like crazy. I felt like a complete mess. Curling up under the covers, I fell into a deep sleep. I woke up around an hour later, shaking violently. Jon was standing above me, shaking my shoulders. I looked up at him, coughing and spluttering. He looked livid. Jace was resting in the doorway, nonchalant. I made to glare back at him but ended up sneezing and nearly popping my eyeballs out of my head, it felt like my ribs were bursting. He placed his hand on my forehead momentarily before sighing.

"How long were you out in the rain?"

"A couple of hours." I shrugged, trying to grab for my pillow. Jon grumbled, heading downstairs most likely to get me some medicine.

"I can't believe you, Clary. Just when I think I've got you figured out, you go and do something stupid like this."

"It's just a cold, it'll pass." I mumbled, rubbing the blanket against my cheek.

"The cold is the least of my worries. I know that you met with Sebastian today."

"Ho-How?" I spluttered, genuinely confused.

"Because I'm not an idiot Clary. The same however, cannot be said for you."

"It's alright Jace, keep kicking me when I'm down."

"It's not my fault you went to meet Sebastian."

"You got me down in the first place." I regretted blaming Jace as soon as the words tumbled out of my mouth.

"Don't be so-" Jace started to talk but Jon was making his way back up the stairs. I turned over on my side, facing away from Jace – in anger, in embarrassment.

"Here, Clary. I've brought you some medicine. We'll talk about this in the morning. Get some rest." I was relieved that they were leaving me alone. However once I was by myself, the pain and the weariness started to kick in. Without their distraction, there was very little else I could do. Slamming my head into the pillow, I tried to fight the pain in my head, in my throat. I awoke hot and sweating, the room pitch black. I was desperate for a drink of water, desperate for something to soothe this burning that was coursing through my body at the speed of light. The more I walked, the hotter I burned. Standing at the top of the stairs, I held onto the bannister tightly as I tried to steady myself. I took one step and a deep breath in sync. I took another step. Desperation for a drink, mixed with my natural clumsiness and my running temperature, sent my feet flailing. A small 'oh' escaped my lips as I tumbled, falling endlessly until I hit the base of the stairs with a sharp crack. Suddenly I just wanted to sleep. Everything was aching and I was drifting. An overwhelming coldness overcoming the sudden heat.

 **Jace's POV**

I woke up to screaming. Loud, piercing, say goodbye to sleep screaming. Jon stirred across the room, his mother shouting his name below me. Throwing on my jeans, I joined Jon in the doorway. At the sound of his mother's voice, he ran to the top of the stairs and looked on in shock when he stopped. Raising an eyebrow, I wandered over to where they were. Screams and crying – what on earth was going on? I could hear Clary's dad on the phone.

"Come now. Please. It's an emergency." He said desperately. And I craned my neck to try and get a look at what was going on. All I could see was Clary's mom sitting at the bottom of the stairs, holding something. Crying onto something. A flash of red and it suddenly all made sense. Clary was lying lifeless at the bottom of the stairs, her body at a crooked angle as her mother stroked her back, cupped her head. Whether it was for Clary's comfort or Joslyn's I wasn't sure. Her skin was deathly white, a streak of dried blood running from her mouth to her chin. And all I felt was that I needed to be the one holding her. I needed to be the one there with her in this moment. All of the pointless fighting. All of the bickering and the nitpicking wasn't worth it. Because I loved her. I loved her.

"Jon – is she – is she?" I mumbled, my brain not working properly.

"Mom." Jon said, trying to hold back tears and failing. It was the first time in my life I'd ever seen him cry. His mother stayed silent, cradling Clary like a child. I willed the ambulance to come faster. To be here now. In my head I wanted to blame Sebastian. I wanted to blame him for everything. For convincing Clary to go and meet him. For the state that she was in now. It would be easier. But the truth of the matter was that it wasn't just Sebastian. It was me. I'd been pushing her away. I'd pushed her towards him. It was as much my fault as it was his. If I'd taken the time last night to be kind to her, instead of rubbing in her face maybe she wouldn't be like she was now. What was it I'd even said to her last? _Called her an idiot?_

"Mom!" Jon shouted, descending the stairs, trying to manoeuvre around Clary's limbs.

"She's alive." His father reassured him. Jon knelt down next to his mother. She seemed to be barely holding it together. I moved myself in behind Jon, looking her over. Her eyes were firmly shut, her mouth slightly ajar. Who knows how long she'd been there? Jon read my mind.

"Did this just happen?" He asked. Her father shook his head, her mother looked up through tear-soaked eyes.

"She was freezing when I found her. She's so cold." Jon reassured his mother as I headed back up the stairs to retrieve a blanket. Joslyn looked at me with appreciation when I helped cover Clary with it. Getting this close to her was frightening, if I thought she looked white from afar I was sadly mistaken. Every vein in her body was highlighted, her skin an odd shade of blue. Her face was frozen solid. Her limbs at awkward angles. The only saving grace was that her chest was slowly rising and falling. Delicately. _Where the hell was this ambulance?!_

Clary's father was getting impatient, stomping around the hallway, daring not to look at his daughter. Jon was hovering over his mother's shoulder, desperate to be of service. Finally a knock at the door. Her father answered it within seconds directing the ambulance men to Clary. I grabbed Jon, pulling him up the stairs with me.

"Mate, what are you doing? I need to be there!" He protested, struggling under my grip.

"Get your clothes on Jon, I'll drive us through after the ambulance." I informed him as I threw a t-shirt on over my jeans.

"Are you sure? What about school?"

"Clary's more important. Come on, they'll be taking her quickly."

I wasn't wrong. By the time we got back out of his room, the medics were lifting Clary onto a stretcher. Her head was in a brace, Joslyn still hadn't let go of her hand. I clasped Jon's shoulder, firmly.

"She'll be alright." I reaffirmed to him and myself. He looked at me, doubtingly. "She's a fighter. She'll be fine." I hadn't convinced myself. We quickly bundled ourselves into the car and I had trouble keeping up with the ambulance as they sped off, sirens blaring. I dared a look at Jon, he was nearly as pale as Clary had been. I didn't have the words anymore, I had lost all mental function. _I couldn't believe this was happening. Why was this happening?_ As we were pulling up to the hospital, Jon pulled his phone from his pocket, fumbling through the buttons.

"I need to message Simon. He needs to be here – in case.." Jon trailed off as he broke down crying in the passenger seat. I grabbed a hold of him pulling him into a hug. _She had to pull through. She just had to._

 **Someone asked for more Jace chapters but somehow I don't think they meant in this context! Oops! I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, please review to let me know how I'm doing and what you would like to see. All my love, until the next time ~Sapph**


	33. Chapter 33

**Can I just start the beginning of this chapter THANKING every single one of you who reviewed the last chapter?! I woke up the morning after I'd published it and the response was overwhelming. I appreciate every single one of you! Thank you. (Also, sorry that the POV's jump around a little bit but it's necessary to this chapter!)**

 **Jace's POV**

The next few days were extremely difficult. Everyone had been in and out of the hospital, taking it in shifts. The hardest moment for me personally was when Jon had physically prised her mother away from Clary's bedside to make her go home and catch some sleep at the end of day 2. Clary still hadn't woken up and I was on the late shift. All of the wires that twisted around her body, enveloping her within them, were obscene. When she was lying in the bed, it became apparent to me just how tiny she was. Her height, her frame – she looked so delicate. So breakable. I pulled my seat up as close to the bed as I could, holding her tiny hand within mine, before resting my head atop of them. I wished for a do-over. Hindsight was a beautiful thing, if only I could have done things differently. I would have told Jon how I felt. I would have trusted that he would have come around, he would have known that I wasn't in it to hurt his sister. He would have made sure that I didn't push her away. That it didn't come to this. I should have trusted him and I should have trusted myself. More than anything else, I should have trusted Clary. I watched her hand as I held it, praying for a sign of movement. What was it the doctor's had said? _Potentially severe head injury and a handful of broken ribs. They were just waiting on her regaining consciousness to assess the level of damage._ Clary's mother had tried everything from playing her current favourite song to humming the song she used to sing her when she was a child. She'd prayed for her to wake up. She begged her to wake up. _What if she never woke up?_ I was pulled out of my thoughts from a knock on the door. Isabelle was stood there, Sebastian in her wake. I didn't have the energy to get angry, hell – maybe I didn't even have the right. It looked like the tragedy of what had happened had brought the pair of them back together. Isabelle looked shocked at the sight before her, Sebastian drained of all colour.

"How is she?" Isabelle muttered, placing down the grapes she had been carrying on the bedside. No wonder she was so shocked, she was clearly expected to come here and see Clary fully conscious ready and willing to sort out their differences and share a punnet of grapes. Isabelle took a seat as Sebastian stayed against the wall, his hand at his mouth, brain not wanting to believe what his eyes were showing him.

"I don't know." I said simply, clasping her hand. "She's breathing for herself. Doing everything for herself. She's just not waking up."

"How did it happen?" Sebastian spoke up.

"She fell down the stairs." I responded automatically. Isabelle and Sebastian stayed in the room for less than 20 minutes. It was difficult to determine who the scene was getting to more, both of them happier to be out of there. To not see what was going on in front of them.

 **Clary's POV**

 _Floating. Flying. Falling. I was in a constant state of motion sickness. These dreams were rocky, they felt unsafe, and they felt shaky. Colours were spinning around my mind, faces appearing and fading. Was this my life flashing before my eyes? Then I saw him, standing in front of me arms outstretched, basked in golden light. I walked towards him, feet unsteady. The closer I got, the further he seemed to drift. I broke into a run and still I couldn't catch up to him. He was taunting me. I broke into tears, frustration overwhelming. Until I felt a pair of sturdy arms reach around behind me, pulling me in close and kissing me on the back of the head. A smile stretched across my face as I rested in his arms._

" _Jace." I muttered, smiling. Over the past few days, this was all I wanted. Just this._

 **Jace's POV**

I had my head on her hands, teetering close to the edge of sleep.

"Jace." I heard a quiet rasp and my head shot up, lightning fast. She was still asleep, everything was as it was. But I was _sure_ that I'd heard her speak. I was sure that she had called my name. _Had I imagined it? Was it wishful thinking?_ I stared at her for another show. Another sign that she was waking up. It didn't come. Resting my head back, I was just about to give up when I heard a giggle erupt from her throat. Turning my head to face her once more, I saw it. I saw her giggling. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. I couldn't help gripping her hand just that little bit tighter in my own. My heart jumped into my throat when she squeezed back.

 **Clary's POV**

 _I followed him, walking into that beautiful golden light. The colours were coming in clearer, the room spinning into focus._

I blinked, twice. _Where was I?_ The white ceiling was harsh to look at, wherever I was lying was really uncomfortable. Then I felt the pain in my chest, the pain in my head. My chest felt tight and sharp like someone was stabbing me with scissors, over and over again. I tried to move, tried to sit up but I couldn't. My eyes finally caught sight of him. His hand was holding mine up to his lips, his golden eyes watching me with wonder. His other hand was typing furiously on his phone, most likely alerting my parents to my consciousness.

"Hi." I muttered, my voice coming out scratchy and painfully. _How had I gotten here?_

"I wondered when you would be joining us." He smiled against my fingers.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." I muttered, wriggling to get comfortable. Jace's smile stretched further as he kissed each of my fingers individually. "If I knew the way to get back into your good books was to put myself in a hospital bed, I would have done it sooner." Jace looked at me seriously. "I'm kidding. Come on, it was funny."

"You fall down the stairs and you think you're a comedian. You can tell you've had a knock on the head."

"I've always been funny." I commented, going to puff my chest. Shooting pains pounded through my chest and I winced.

"Are you alright?" Jace jumped to my side, his hand on my shoulder. I smiled pitifully.

"I'm fine. Just my abdomen." I muttered.

"They think you've broken a few ribs."

"How did I fall?"

"I don't know, but it is you. Queen clumsy."

"Very true. I'll have to be more careful in the future." I smiled as he rubbed my shoulder reassuringly.

"As will I."

"What does that mean?" I asked as Jace sat himself down on the bed next to me, clasping both of my hands in one of his.

"It means that I want this Clary. I want all of this. I know this isn't the best place for it but I promised myself that as soon as you woke up, I would ask." I looked at him confused as he stroked my arm from wrist to shoulder in one swift motion. "I want you to be my girlfriend Clary."

"But I thought you didn't do girlfriends?" I responded, teasingly.

"I want to now. With you. I'm going to tell Jon myself when he gets here." I looked at him shocked.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" I said nervously.

"I should have done it sooner. I can't lose you again Clary." He paused for a moment, his eyes trained in on mine. "Because I love you." I looked at him, laughing lightly but he didn't join in with my laughter. "I'm not kidding around here Clary."

"Sorry, I'm just letting it sink in." Jace looked at me disbelieving before leaning over me. His lips pressed firmly against my own, his hands massaging mine. He pulled away smiling. "I love you." He kissed me lightly. "I love you." He said, kissing me slightly firmer. "I love you." He kissed me deeply, pulling away quickly as though he would hurt me. "Has that sunk in?" I smirked.

"Hmm. I'm not sure." I closed my eyes and pouted. A kiss didn't come and I popped one eye open to peek at him. He was smirking. "Maybe? One more? For good luck?" I smiled. He obliged, kissing me firmly. His hand sprung to the back of my head, deepening the kiss. It was good until suddenly it was bad. I winced, pulling away.

"Shit, did I hurt you?" He muttered, smoothing my hair down.

"No I'm fine. I forgot it would still be a little delicate." I said, starting to feel a lot more pain now. My abdomen was aching just from sitting and my head was pounding, making my eyesight go fuzzy. "I think I need some more pain meds." Jace was quick to detail, seeking out a nurse. He was scolded for having not alerted them to the fact that I had woken up, but I was given my pain medication and I felt like I was high quite quickly. "What were we talking about again? Oh yes! I was about to tell you I loved you-" I started to say but Jace hushed me.

"Shh, I don't want the first time you say it to be when you're high on pain medication. Save it." He smiled, playing with the creases in between my fingers. I giggled lightly, trying to entwine my fingers with his. Our hands sprung apart when the door opened, my parents and Jon rushing through. My mother ran to my shoulder, crying loudly. My father stood at the base of the bed, looking over me and smiling, tears brimming in his eyes. Jon clapped Jace on the shoulder, smiling as though he'd miraculously brought me to life. My mother and father swamped me as Jace and Jon left the room, silently.

 **Jace's POV**

I asked Jon for two minutes of his time as his parents were fussing over Clary, making sure she had enough medicine and that she was comfortable enough. I led Jon out into the hallway, readying myself to have this conversation.

"I need to talk to you about something." I admitted, Jon raised an eyebrow.

"Sure." He commented, shrugging.

"Where to start." I muttered to myself. "I think I'm in love with your sister." I came out with it, expecting a smack to the face.

"I know." Jon answered. I look at him in disbelief. Of all the answers I was expecting, this wasn't one of them. Jon must have seen me fumbling and elaborated. "Sorry to burst your bubble but it was obvious."

"Oh."

"It was a pretty big giveaway when you offered to stay the night with her by yourself. Another big giveaway, you guys at Magnus' party? Don't think I didn't see that. Yes, I was drunk but I wasn't _that_ drunk." Jon smiled and I could feel myself getting awkward. Ruffling my hair, I looked at the ground laughing.

"I thought you were going to punch me if I was honest, mate."

"I can if it'll make you feel better?"

"I'll pass."

"I want to thank you anyway. For being with her when she came around. You have my blessing to carry on a relationship with Clary, as long as you are good to each other and if you can't be good to each other, let each other go. That's all I ask pal." I nodded.

"Fair enough." We shook hands before heading back into the room.

 **Thank you for reading my stories! I really appreciate every one of you. All of my love, until the next time! ~Sapph**


	34. Chapter 34

**Thank you for the overwhelming response I received for the last chapter. Just to answer a question I saw whilst I was reading the reviews about ending this story. I am just about done this story so there won't be much more….**

 **I'm kidding obviously! I am** _ **nowhere**_ **near the end of this story. So there is plenty more to come!**

 **Clary's POV**

I was released from the hospital a few days later but told specifically that I wasn't allowed to go back to school until my ribs were in better shape which they estimated would take a couple of weeks. Mornings were torture as everyone was out, the guys at school, my parents at work. Mum had originally wanted to take some time off work but I'd convinced her otherwise. It was only Day One of me being home by myself and I already felt like I'd done everything I wanted to. Mum had made me a bed up on the couch for when they were out, not trusting me anywhere near the stairs. Jon and Jace had been hanging out with me at every possible opportunity, Jon strangely cool about mine and Jace's blossoming relationship. In his own words – 'life was too short'. Jace had been very helpful and extremely cautious. Maybe even to cautious. Whenever he helped me up and down the stairs it took a good five to ten minutes. My ribs still ached, a dull pain that was constantly there. I had just about finished watching another tv show I wasn't particularly interested in when I was distracted. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a knock rang out at the door. There was no way I could possibly get it. Not by myself.

"Who is it?" I shouted as loud as I could muster, hoping that whoever it was would either respond, come in or leave. I could hear a voice but I could really hear at all what they were saying. "Come in. I can't hear you!" I shouted back, the noise making my head ache. Eventually I heard the door swing open, footsteps on the laminate flooring.

"Clary?" A familiar voice called. It wasn't who I was expecting at all.

"I'm in here." I said, apprehensively. His eyes caught mine as he rounded the lounge door. He was holding a box of chocolates and a card, smiling warmly. I looked at him and then the clock curiously.

"Shouldn't you be in art?" I queried. He shook his head, sitting himself down on the chair next to me.

"I'm sure Sebastian and Isabelle can manage. I wasn't sure if you were taking visitors or not."

"I'm getting there. Still too fragile to be going to school but it's moved out of the agony stage now, which is definitely a plus."

"Sebastian didn't want me to come, hence why I've come during school hours." Jordan looked at me and it dawned on me that he was still trying to figure out what there was between me and Sebastian. I shook my head.

"Let's not talk about Sebastian okay? If he ever wants to tell you about that then that's up to him. But it wouldn't be fair of me to tell you. You were friends with Sebastian before me so." Jordan pulled a face at me before deciding better of it and changing the subject. We were actively discussing our art project when the door opened once more. Jordan almost jumped out of his skin when he span to see Jace stood behind him. He didn't know how quickly to make his exit. Jace looked after him in confusion.

"Did I scare him off?" He smirked.

"I'll be scaring everyone off in a minute if you don't stop skipping school!" I grumbled. Jace smiled at me, pulling out a bag from behind his back. My interest was piqued. The ice cream he passed me subsided my anger. He sat on the arm of the chair, watching me with interest. "You want some?" I mumbled with a mouthful. He shook his head, looking amused. "What?!" I grumbled. Jace leaned over the top of me, careful not to exert any pressure onto me. My grip on the ice-cream loosened as I watched him loom over me. His tongue ran lightly across my bottom lip, cleaning up all of the ice-cream that had fallen there before kissing me deeply. I rose gently to meet him, battling against the light pain. It was only when the shooting pains and freezing sensations kicked in that I sunk back. _Was I bleeding? Why was I wet?_ I frowned as I pulled back to see that I had tipped the ice-cream. Whatever of it was left had splattered all over my t-shirt. Jace was looking at me, a smile stretched tightly on his lips. I could tell he was dying to laugh. "It's all very funny isn't it?!" I laughed as he finally succumbed. "Well the joke is on you, cause you're going to have to change my top." Jace was straight on the ball, retrieving a t-shirt for me and helping me to sit on the edge of the chair. I raised my arms so that he could take my shirt off and change it for a fresh one. Usually this would have been an issue for me, but with the way my ribs were it was becoming a common thing. Jace was taking my shirt off painfully slow, questioning his every move. Once it was off, he grabbed the fresh one, trying to avert his eyes. As he was bringing fresh shirt down my arms, he caught sight of my bruises. Let me be the first to say, from an artistic point of view they were pretty fantastic. Blues, purples, blacks and splashes of red. From a pain perspective? Not as fantastic.

"You've fairly done a number on yourself." Jace muttered under his breath as he slowly covered me back up.

"I think you'll find the stairs are to blame." I pointed out. Jace smirked, helping me to recline back on the chair.

"I think _you'll_ find…" He started, running his hand down my leg until he grabbed a hold of my foot. "These are to blame." I giggled as his fingers skirted over my soles. "Are you comfortable enough?" Jace asked. I shook my head. I just wanted to lie down and cuddle him. The sofa didn't make that possible. "Do you want to go upstairs?" I nodded. "Can you walk upstairs?" Little shake. "Do you want me to carry you?" Little nod. Jace took enough time to hold me properly, lifting me up and raising me against his chest. I placed my head on his shoulder as he carried me with ease up to my room. He placed me under the covers, tucking me in before sitting on the edge of the bed. I frowned at him. He instantly took the hint, climbing in beside me. I wrapped myself up against him, his arm holding me tightly. Sleep came easily.

 **2 Weeks Later**

Waking up for school after near 3 weeks off was agony. I felt oddly nervous even though I was only going back for a half day. The second half of the day. Which happened to be art. Simon was waiting for me when I got to school.

"Am I allowed to hug you? I won't hurt will I?" He rambled, holding me delicately. I winced, but only slightly. Luckily Simon didn't notice. I trudged to art despairingly, not wanting to face what was on the other side of that door. It was strange walking into the classroom, it was even weirder seeing Isabelle and Sebastian being closer than ever. Now that I was starting to heal, Jace was starting to make disdain for Isabelle and Sebastian known once more.

"Hey! How are you doing?" Jordan was quick to my aid, pulling my chair out for me and unpacking my supplies.

"I'm fine." I assured him, getting myself comfortable. Sebastian and Isabelle looked mighty uncomfortable. "Where are we at with the project?" I wanted this lesson to fly over as quickly as possible. Thankfully it did just that with little incident. Mainly because Isabelle and Sebastian were silent. My main priority was finding Jace in the hallway – now that we didn't have to hide our feelings from anyone. I felt a sharp pang of jealousy when I saw him standing at his locker, Lana hanging around him. I held back from walking over – not wanting to deal with the drama.

"Who's that with Jace?" Simon's voice sounded from behind me.

"I think her name is Lana." I replied.

"Well she's nowhere _near_ as pretty as you." Simon said, I turned to face him surprised. "Sorry, I've seen that in a lot of movies – got a little carried away." He smiled sheepishly.

"Do you fancy a walk home?" I asked.

"Well I was walking anyway but just because it's you, you can tag along." He smirked. We got home about half an hour later, Simon leaving to go and practice something for his drama class. Jace was there waiting for me.

"I thought I was bringing you home today? Did you get a better offer?" He smirked, kissing me generously.

"I saw you with Lana. I didn't want to impose." I replied.

"She was being her usual self. Hey here's an idea, why don't we try to hook her up with Sebastian?" I shot him a look.

"No one deserves that." I said, reaching for a glass. Jace quickly rushed to my side. "I can get it." I protested, straining myself slightly.

"I've told Jon that we'll go see a movie tonight, is that alright?"

"You may take off your ball and chain." I smiled. "Just this once though." Jace smiled kissing my cheek gently.

"I'll text you, okay?" He said as he kissed my goodbye. I took myself straight to bed, the day being unnaturally exhausting. I flicked my phone open once I was tucked up but it was empty. I fell into a light nap which I was quickly shaken from when my mother returned home. She was desperate to find out how school went, how I was feeling and why I was in bed. It took me a good ten minutes to finally get rid of her. My phone was full of life when I turned back to it.

 **Simon: Yo! Mum wants to know if you want to come for dinner on Wednesday?**

 **Clary: Count me in! Is she making stir-fry? Please say she's making stir-fry?**

 **Simon: I'll get her to make your damned stir-fry!**

 **Jace: Are you resting?**

 **Clary: I'm at a disco.**

 **Jace: Clary…**

 **Clary:** _ **Jaaaace…**_ **I can say names too.**

 **Jace: Less of the lip – it's wearing you out.**

 **Clary: Nah – it comes easily.**

 **Jace: Sleep!**

I smiled, placing my phone down at my bedside. It vibrated instantly and I picked it back up thinking that it was Jace. It was Sebastian.

 **Sebastian: Can we talk?**

 **Clary: I don't think so.**

I couldn't have a repeat performance. Not after all of the bother of last time.

 **Sebastian: No funny business this time.**

 **Clary: You had your chance.**

Setting my phone to silent, I set it back to one side and fell into a slumber. I woke up about 4am feeling terrible. I made my way downstairs carefully and felt instantly nervous when I saw an extra car parked on the drive. Even more so when I saw a dark figure sitting at the steering wheel. As soon as I caught sight of the car, the headlights flashed on, engine roaring to life as it pulled away and tore off down the street. Full of confusion, I forced myself back to bed and back to sleep.

I really didn't want to go to school in the morning. Jace was waiting for me at the breakfast bar.

"You're a lot less lippy in person, aren't you?"

"Don't you mock me when I'm tired!" I grumbled, grabbing a cereal bowl.

"Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"

"I-" I was about to tell him about the car but then thought better of it. "I had a bad night's sleep." I settled for. "Anyway, tonight's date night."

"Is it? Since when?"

"It is now. What are we doing?"

"I'll have a think about it later. Get a move on you. I thought you were against missing school." Jace teased.

Sebastian cornered me in art, painting at the easel next to me.

"Are you alright after the accident?" He asked.

"Fine, thank you." I said simply.

"Can we grab a coffee after class?" He pressed.

"No. I have a date." I muttered, getting into the fine details of my canvas. His face changed momentarily.

"I want you to know Clary that when I saw you in that bed, it broke my heart. I felt sick to my core. If anything would have happened to you – it's not even worth thinking about."

"I appreciate your concern. Jace is my boyfriend though." His face seemed to falter and I felt instant regret for divulging.

"Boyfriend." He commented as though he was tasting the word, rolling it on his tongue to see how it sounded. I kept quiet, rearranging my canvas to a different angle. "I can't say I'm surprised." _Why wasn't this lesson over already?!_

 **Thank you for sticking with me on this! I appreciate each and every one of you.**

 **All of my love, until the next time.**

 **~Sapph**


	35. Chapter 35

**Thank you for your continued support with this story. It really makes my day! A lot of people want to know how Sebastian feels about Clary. I just feel like it's important that I point out that Sebastian is absolutely infatuated with Clary. She is the only one he can see himself being with in the future and he would do anything to have her back. I am tempted to do a Sebastian PoV in the near future depending on where I take the plot.**

The lesson passed by in silence and I was relieved that I had two days of freedom before I had to endure another lesson of art. Heading out of the classroom, I made a beeline for Jace's locker, excited to see what he planned for our date night. It was a short while before I saw him. When I did catch sight of him he was walking through the hallway, Lana at his side. She disappeared down another corridor as Jace headed in my direction. His face was stoic until he caught sight of me, a smile brimming to the surface.

"Everything okay?" I asked, resting against his locker. He nodded, kissing my cheek lightly.

"Yeah, grand." He smiled before his brow furrowed. "Can we rearrange date night to tomorrow night? My parents need me to run an errand tonight."

"Yeah, that's fine." I agreed, a little disappointed. "I can't do tomorrow though. I've promised Si that I'll have dinner at his house. Thursday?" We agreed on a day before parting ways. I thought nothing of it.

When I got home, I headed straight into the kitchen. Ever since I had gotten out of hospital, I'd had a serious case of dehydration going on. I was drinking like a horse. Jon was already in the kitchen in a pair of jogging bottoms with no shirt on. He had a pair of earphones in and was dancing around to what sounded like rap music. It was a good ten minutes before he even realised I was there.

"Sup sis!" He smiled, taking out one earphone.

"Not an awful lot actually. I actually have one of those days to myself again. You know how much I enjoy them." I smiled sarcastically. Ever since I'd been ill, I hated spending time by myself unless I'd planned to do so.

"Is Jace not free?" Jon said with a funny smile on his face. He loved winding me up about Jace.

"He's running an errand for his parents." I said, finishing my drink off. Jon pulled his face momentarily before bursting into a grin.

"You know what this calls for!" Jon smiled, pulling out the remaining earphone.

"What?" I asked, refilling my glass.

"We're going to do something together. Just the two of us. Now what to do." He was tapping his chin as he retrieved his t-shirt from the chair at the breakfast bar.

"Nothing too strenuous I hope." I added, tapping my ribs.

"I've got a good idea." He smiled, gesturing for me to follow him. I finished off the rest of my drink before accompanying him to the car.

"And that idea is?" I asked as I trailed behind him.

"You'll spoil the surprise." He commented, opening the car door for me to hop in.

"You have no idea what we're going to do, have you?" I asked him once he climbed into the driver's seat. He gave me a smile before turning the engine on.

"I'll figure something out." I joined him in laughter as I buckled myself in.

We eventually came to a stop at a pet shop.

"A pet shop?" I questioned him as we pulled up outside.

"Well I thought we might look at animals. Zoos will be closing soon. This was really the best I could do! We'll go for a coffee afterwards though. There's a nice one just down this street." Jon immediately regretted taking me into the pet shop because I wanted everything I saw. We nearly left with a handful of animals. On our way along to the café, Jon stopped to have a chat with a man I didn't recognise in the street. I continued along to the café, buying our coffees and ordering desserts. Jon followed me in about five minutes after I'd sat down. He had a confused expression on his face.

"That's Jace's dad." Jon commented as he sat down, poking his dessert with his fork.

"Oh really?" I said simply, I spooned a piece of cheesecake into my mouth.

"He asked if Jace was with me." Jon said with a furrowed brow.

"Oh." I commented.

"Apparently he has no errands to do tonight as his parents are flying to England later this evening." Jon shrugged, eating his own cake. "Maybe he's planning a surprise for you?"

"Maybe." I muttered, suddenly not all that interested in my own. It sat abandoned until we left the coffee shop and headed home. As soon as I was over the threshold, I headed upstairs to find my phone.

 **Simon: Are we still on for tomorrow missus?**

 **Clary: Of course we are. Stir-fry?**

 **Simon: Yes! Stir-fry! I'll be here too remember!**

 **Clary: Eh, I suppose that'll do.**

 **Simon: Hey now!**

 **Clary: You know I love you Si.**

 **Simon: That's more like it.**

The only other person I had messages from was Sebastian.

 **Sebastian: I can't take this Clary. Please talk to me.**

 **Clary: Focus on Isabelle. This isn't getting you anywhere.**

I decided to pen a message to Jace. Not accusing, just to see if our wires had gotten crossed somewhere.

 **Clary: Hey, did you get your errand done?**

It took a while for him to respond. While I was waiting, I managed to have a shower, draw half a picture and eat my dinner.

 **Jace: Yeah, it took a while. All done now though. I'm free, if you want to do something?**

 **Clary: It's getting a bit late. I'll see you tomorrow at school.**

I had to talk to Simon about this. It was all a little bit strange. I couldn't put my finger on it, something just didn't seem right.

I barely saw Jace at all the next day at school. As soon as the day was over, I grabbed Simon and dragged him to his house in silence, only stopping to breathe once we were on the other side of the door.

"What on earth was that all about?" Simon protested, straightening out his shirt.

"I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" He asked, sitting himself down at the table.

"Jace. He told me he was running an errand for his parents last night but his parents said he wasn't. Lana has been hanging around his locker for the better part of the week. She was even there today! I don't want to sound like an idiot Si, but what if he's cheating on me?" I said, pacing in his kitchen, getting myself all flustered.

"Clary. He'd be an idiot. After everything that the pair of you have been through as well, he'd be crazy. Plus! He's Jon's best friend. You're Jon's sister. Jon would tear his head off. His life wouldn't be worth living." I had to agree with Simon. Jace had never shown himself to be this type of person before. Maybe I was just reading into it all wrong. Maybe he was running an errand for Alec and got himself confused? Maybe he was doing something for his parents without them knowing? A nice gesture? Maybe I was the idiot.

"You're right Simon. I think I'm just being paranoid."

"I can hardly blame you C. After everything Sebastian has done, it must be hard for you." He was right. As always.

"Thank you Simon, you've made me see sense again."

"It's my job. I've gotten good at it over the years." He smiled. "Now are you going to help me get this stir-fry going? Mum's been held back at work. So it's just me, you and this whole pan of stir-fry I'm afraid." Simon smiled.

"I can live with that." I smirked.

I didn't leave Simon's until late as we got a little bit carried away playing Super Mario. He offered to walk me home but I declined, it was only a few blocks away. As I was approaching my house, I saw that same car again parked quite close to my house. As soon as I got up close, it sped away once more. My immediate thought was Sebastian but it wasn't his car. It wouldn't hurt to message him anyway though, would it?

 **Clary: Have you taken to stalking me now?**

He replied almost instantaneously.

 **Sebastian: No?! Do you need me over there? I can come now.**

 **Clary: No, it's okay. I must be seeing things.**

I regretted messaging him instantly but if it wasn't him, who else could it be? I went straight to bed that night as mum and dad were out on a theatre break for the next couple of days, leaving Jon to 'look after me'. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I opened the door to find Jace sitting on my bed. He looked a little dishevelled, but smiled nonetheless.

"I wasn't expecting visitors." I smiled as I shut the door. Jace jumped to his feet to join me at the door, helping me to take my bag off.

"Well I thought since I bailed on date night, I'd come make it up to you." His voice was slightly husky.

"That's kind of you. Have you been here long?" I questioned as I took my jacket off.

"About an hour, I sat with Jon for most of it though."

"Oh, did you see the car outside then?" I asked, not worried about questioning it now that I knew that it wasn't Sebastian. Jace's face fell slightly as he approached the window, twitching the blinds as he looked out into the night. "They're gone now. They went when I came in. I'm pretty sure I saw the same car the other day though, during the night." I commented, as I rummaged through my drawers looking for some pyjamas.

"Is it not Sebastian? Playing his games?" Jace asked, sounding unsure himself.

"I've asked him already." He shot me a look. "It's not him. Anyway, it's a different car."

"Do you need a hand?" Jace offered, as I headed into the bathroom.

"I can manage, thank you though." I emerged a few minutes later. My hair was tied back into a long ponytail, my vest top and short pyjama combo adorned with spots. Jace was waiting on the other side of the door. He grabbed me close to him for a long hug burying his nose into my hair. He moved away from me once he had hugged me, holding me at arms-length and just looking at me. "What was that all about?" I asked him, as snuggled myself back against his chest.

"Nothing, I just really love you Clary." He sighed against me. "I hope you know that."

"Of course I do." I smiled up at him. His eyes met with mine as his lips pressed against mine lightly but hungrily. I stepped onto my tiptoes to kiss him back, my hands resting on his shoulders. He stepped me backwards towards the bed before sitting on it himself. He opened his legs, allowing me to stand in front of him, never breaking the kiss. My hands found their way into his hair as his hands rested just above my bum. His hands kneaded against my skin, trying to pull me in closer. Giving into him, I climbed onto the bed, my knees hooking over her legs as I rested myself against him. His hands fell down to cup my bum as I tugged at his hair lightly. His lips slipped from my mouth, trailing down my jawline and throat and down to my collarbone. I giggled under his touch before climbing back to my feet. He looked up at me with a pout on his face.

"You ruined my fun." He pointed out as I headed to the mirror to sort my hair out.

"Treat them mean, keep them keen?" I joked as I looked at him through my mirror. He hopped off the bed, coming over in my direction. His hands fell to my hips as he kissed the back of my neck lightly, his fingertips niggling at my skin. His hand started to slip under my vest stop, rubbing my stomach and sides.

"Stop it." I muttered, as he rested his head on my shoulder.

"Why?" He breathed heavily as he reached the underwire of my bra.

"Jon's just down the hall." I said, finally catching his hands and pulling myself away from him. "Are you staying the night?" I asked Jace once the tension in the air had diluted a little. He was messing around on his phone, fingers typing quickly.

"Uh – I think I'll have to pass. I'm still up for date night tomorrow though." He smiled, kissing me lightly on the cheek before heading out of the room, all of the passion of before melting away. I dived straight for my phone, dialling up Simon.

"New York Fire Department, how may I help you?"

"Simon. I think I'm going crazy."

"What's up munchkin?"

I told him the full story about how Jace had been all over me and then suddenly, he wasn't interested. Was it my imagination?

"I don't really want to know what you and Mr Herondale get up to in private-"

"Give over Simon, I've seen you in worse states, remember?"

"Ah yes, let's forget I said that! Is he not just – on his period?"

"Seriously now Simon." I sighed. "Please. For the sake of my sanity."

"Why don't you just ask him if something is up?" Simon said.

"Cause he probably wouldn't tell me even if there was…"

"If there is something up I bet it's completely trivial. You'll be worrying about nothing."

"You're right." I mumbled. "I'm probably just getting myself worked up about nothing." A knock rang out downstairs. Jace had more than likely forgotten something. "Got to go Simon, someone's at the door. I'll speak to you later. Thanks again!"

I ran down the stairs but by the time I got there, there was no one there. I looked up and down the street but couldn't see anyone. Just as I was about to head back inside, I looked down to see a small piece of paper sat on the doorstep. Reaching down for it, I picked it up and read it quickly. But it filled me with more confusion than anything else.

 **STAY AWAY FROM JACE HERONDALE**

 **Thank you all for reading! I appreciate every single one of you and love reading your reviews.**

 **All of my love, until the next time!**

 **~Sapph**


	36. Chapter 36

I checked up and down the street once more, completely and utterly baffled. _Who had left this? Should I ring Simon? Should I tell Jon?_ Deciding to ignore it, I tore the letter up and tossed it into the trash. I'd had enough of silly little games. If someone had something to say to me, they could come and say it to my face. I headed straight up to bed and fell into an uneasy rest. School the next day was uneventful, I barely had anything to do with anyone. It was when I was walking home that all the fun began. I was oblivious to what was happening around me as I walked home slowly, headphones over my ears. I was humming the song that was playing into my mind when I felt a strange sensation that I was being watched. Pulling them off, I turned my head to the side to see Sebastian's car pulled up alongside me. Rolling my eyes, I continued walking making him curb-crawl alongside me.

"Clary – are you alright?" He asked, steering with one hand as he drove slowly alongside me.

"Yes." I said simply, planning a way in my head where he couldn't follow me in the car.

"What happened last night? Who was at your house?" He seemed concerned.

"It was a misunderstanding. I've understandably been a bit paranoid recently, as you'd imagine." Sebastian looked out of the windscreen before looking back to me.

"I'm sorry for the part I've played in that." He said and I looked at him.

"I appreciate it. I'm sorry I've got to get home." I tried to say.

"Let me take you?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Not today." I was bubbling under the surface. A mixture of confusion from the letter, confusion at the way Sebastian was acting. _Who had sent that goddamn letter? Why had they sent it?!_

"Clary, come on." Sebastian had stopped the car next to me and I was about to explode. I rested my hands on the window pane of his car, and couldn't help myself from shouting.

"Just leave me alone, okay?!" I growled before turning on my heel and cutting through the park. Thankfully, he didn't follow me. I felt livid and I knew there was only way to get over the way that I felt.

I had to speak to Jace.

Today was supposed to be date night after all. I tried calling him as soon as I crossed the threshold. His phone rang out a couple of times and I gave up. He'd ring me back when he got them. _He's probably driving._ Setting myself up in the kitchen, I started sketching the candle that my mum had left on the table. It took an hour for Jace to call me back.

"Clary, you called?"

"Yeah – tonight's date night?" I said simply, still sketching with my free hand.

"Buggar. It totally slipped my mind." I could hear someone talking in the background but it was too quiet for me to make out who it was.

"Yeah." I responded.

"Can we have date night tomorrow? I'm a bit caught up at the minute." He said after a short pause.

"I suppose so." I started to settle but quickly caught myself. "Actually Jace, I really need to talk to you."

"I'm spread a bit thin here Clary. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"Okay." I said simply. "See you tomorrow then." I muttered before hanging up. I immediately dialled Simon once I was done. I needed to talk to someone.

"Hi Si? Are you free?"

"For you? Always. What's the matter?"

"Can you meet me at Java's?"

"Be there in a heartbeat." I hung up, and held my phone to my chest. _Thank the Lord for Simon._ My phone vibrated against my chest, I quickly scanned a look at it.

 **Jace: Really? You've turned your phone off? What's gotten into you Clary? Why are you acting so childish?**

I started penning a reply about how I'd actually been on the phone to Simon but I decided against sending it. If Jace wanted to hear about why I hadn't been contactable he could come and see me. Simon was there and waiting with our order by the time I arrived at Java's. I sat down and slumped my head onto my hands.

"I think Jace is cheating on me." I grumbled through my fingers.

"Haven't we already been through this Clary? I thought you were going to give it some time?" Simon asked, taking a sip of his coffee and burning his lips. I told him about the letter. I told him about Jace forgetting date night. About his standoffish tone on the phone. About someone talking in the background. Simon furrowed his brow, going to sip his coffee once more before returning it to the plate remembering it was too hot.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" I shook my head.

"I can't see what good that would do, but thank you." I smiled. "Realistically, I just want him to talk to me. I just want to know what's going on. Am I being stupid?" I asked playing with my biscuit.

"I thought so at first. Sorry." He smiled sheepishly. "I'm not so sure now. That letter is the weirdest thing. Could it have been Sebastian?"

"I don't think so. Anyway, it's not his writing."

"You don't think it's that Lana do you?" Simon asked. I shrugged.

"What reason would she have to send it? She knows me and Jace have been seeing each other a while."

"Maybe it's because he made you his girlfriend." I frowned. _Somehow that just didn't feel right._

"I'll ask Jace when I eventually see him." I sighed. "Anyway, what's happening in your love life?"

"Dead in the water." Simon laughed, taking a large gulp of his coffee.

"What about-" I started, he waved his hand.

"She humped me and dumped me C. I'd say I'm devastated but hey, it's nice to be the one who's used for their body for once." I nearly choked into my coffee. "The details aren't nice are they?!" I started laughing as Simon picked his phone up which was vibrating on the table. He gestured one minute to me as he answered.

"Hello? Woah, woah – slow down. What?!" Simon was talking quickly but nowhere near as quick as the person on the other end. "You're alright though aren't you? Physically I mean? I'm just checking! Do you need me to come over? I'm at Java's with Clary – why don't you come here? For Christ's sake Isabelle, she's not going to rub it in your face! What do you want to drink? I'll order it for you getting here. Just calm down okay? See you in a bit." Simon sighed, hanging up the phone. "Why am I everyone's favourite agony aunt today?"

"Is she alright?" I asked, feeling a little queasy. _What had she thought I was going to rub in her face?_

"Her relationship is over."

"Amicably?" I asked.

"Well she's all in one piece if that's what you mean. He's finished it though, so she thinks you're going to be like 'told you so'." I bit my lip as Simon went to the counter to order her drink. She arrived a little over five minutes later. Simon gave her a hug as she approached the booth, I couldn't help but feel awkward.

"Hi." She smiled, looking embarrassed. I smiled back as she climbed into the booth next to Simon.

"What happened then Iz?" Simon asked. She started to get immediately teary and it was hard to watch.

"He just broke up with me." She muttered, looking at her hands. "He said that he had made a mistake and that we couldn't be together." She wiped away a stray tear. "I don't know what I've done wrong." Simon reached for her hand, holding it reassuringly. It was obvious to me watching them that Simon had feelings for Isabelle, that he really cared for her. "I'm so sorry Clary, I should have listened."

"We can't help who we fall in love with." I smiled reassuringly at Isabelle.

"I really hope you can forgive me Clary. I've been a horrible friend."

"We've both been a bit subpar I think." I reached out for her other hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I've missed you though."

"I've missed you too."

"Group hug!" Simon shouted, we both looked at him. "Sorry, bad timing?" We all laughed. "I've just had a thought actually – Isabelle, has Jace been acting weirdly at all?" Simon clicked his fingers. I immediately went back to feeling crap. Isabelle looked confused.

"Actually, he has been a bit more withdrawn lately. Spends a lot of the time out of the house but I just assumed that he was with you, Clary?" I shook my head, she frowned. "I'm not sure then. Sorry."

"Have you seen him with Lana?" I asked, needing the vent the concern that was on my mind the most.

"At school yeah? I haven't really seen much of him outside of that."

We sat and talked for a little while more, this time about Simon's love life.

"I'm going to head off home, I've got some history homework I need to get finished by tomorrow." I smiled, grabbing my bag and heading off after assuring them I was fine to go alone. I wandered home in a world of my own, earphones firm in my ears. As I was crossing a street a few blocks from my house, I could have sworn I saw a girl who looked an awful lot like Lana getting out of a car that looked an awful lot like Jace's. _Maybe I was paranoid._ As soon as I was home, I thrust myself into the shower. I heard my phone vibrate a couple of times whilst I was in there but tried to cast it out of my mind. Once I was out of the shower, I picked it up and was greeted with a host of messages.

 **Sebastian: Isabelle and I have broken up.**

 **Clary: I heard.**

 **Sebastian: I thought I'd try and do right for once.**

I admired his remorseful tone and I couldn't help but think he had done the right thing is ending things with Isabelle before they ended up taking a turn for the worse. I wasn't going to tell him that. It would make him think he was back in with a shot. The other message I had was from Jace.

 **Jace: I'm free now if you want to talk.**

He'd sent it half an hour ago. I responded quickly.

 **Clary: I'm tired now. We'll talk tomorrow.**

 **Jace: I don't know if I'll be free tomorrow. Can we talk tonight?**

 **Clary: Fine. I'll meet you at the end of the street.**

I threw on a pair of sweat pants and a plain t-shirt before heading out the house. I was glad my parents were away from home because if they'd seen me leaving the house with my hair this damp after last month's incident, they'd kill me. I wasn't waiting long for Jace to pull up. I climbed cautiously into the car beside him. He tried to kiss me but I was reluctant.

"Is something the matter with you Clary?" He asked, looking at me as though I was the one acting strange.

"I think I should be asking you the same question really. You've got no time for me recently and you're pushing me away. I don't even know if you're doing it. Then I got a letter last night telling me to stay away from you." I summarised. "You can understand why I'm a little confused. You're sending me mixed signals." Jace looked out of the windscreen, driving. "Are you seeing someone else, is that it?" I asked. He looked flabbergasted.

"What? No! Of course not!" He protested. "Did Sebastian not send that message? It sounds like something he would do."

"I don't think so. I was thinking Lana. She's been hanging around a lot more than usual lately."

"Hmm, I'll have a word with her." I gave him a suspicious look. "She's a friend Clary that's all."

"Is she the one you've been spending all of this time with?"

"No, I've been sorting some family stuff out." Jace said. "I would tell you if there was anything going on. You know I would."

 **Jace's PoV**

I dropped Clary at her door, giving her a small kiss goodnight. I watched her walk up to her door, all the way up the stairs and only pulled away when her light flickered to life. I drove around the corner and pulled the car over to the curb. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I called Lana immediately.

"Hey." She spoke down the phone, quietly.

"Have you been putting letters through Clary's door?" I asked.

"Uh-"

"I'll appreciate it if you're honest with me Lana."

"I did." She muttered. "I'm sorry. I'm just all over the place at the moment."

"You know that I haven't told her yet, why are you trying to make things difficult? I thought you wanted my help with this?"

"I do."

"So why are you trying to make it difficult?" She started crying down the phone.

"I just got confused. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, do you need anything? I'm passing your house on the way home." I muttered. Once I finished the call, I went to pull away. My eyes quickly caught sight of a lipbalm that Lana had left in the car earlier. I breathed a sigh of relief that Clary hadn't noticed it when she had gotten in and quickly shoved it into the glove box.

 **Clary's PoV**

He was lying to me.

Somehow. Somewhere along the line. He was lying to me.

I picked up the mascara that I'd found when I'd sat down and twirled it between my thumbs. The question was – why was he lying? And what was he lying about?

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **All of my love**

 **Until the next time!**

 **~Sapph (:**


	37. Chapter 37

**Jesus the updates are coming fast and thick today! I just can't help myself. Every single time I finish a chapter, I keep immediately starting the next! Anyway I hope you're still enjoying this story. Let me know!**

I went to school the next morning practically in a daze. Every single time I saw Lana, I wanted to stop her in the corridor and ask her for the truth. _Would she even tell me the truth? Jace hadn't._ My head was aching and all I wanted was for people to just be honest with me. By the time the end of the school day rolled around, I was still no closer to getting any answers. Simon was waiting for me at the end of the day, Isabelle waiting at his side.

"Hey, are you alright? You've been looking a bit peaky all day." Isabelle commented.

"She's right, you look like someone's drained the colour out of you with a tap." Simon added. I waited until we were out of earshot of anyone from school.

"I found a mascara in Jace's car last night." I said blankly. "It wasn't one of mine." Isabelle inhaled sharply, Simon just looked at me expressionlessly.

"Is it yours?" Simon turned to Isabelle. She shook her head.

"I haven't been in Jace's car since Magnus' party."

"It's Lana's." I said. "I know that it's hers. I just don't understand why he keeps lying to me. I just want him to be honest with me." I sighed. I pulled out my phone and quickly penned a last ditch message.

 **Clary: Date night?**

I sent the message optimistically.

"Do you want to do something tonight? We were thinking about going to the cinema?" Simon offered, Isabelle nodding in agreement.

"No thank you. It's supposed to be date night. So I'm going to go home and wait to see if my date shows up. If and when he shows up, I'm going to ask him about this mascara and hopefully I'll get some answers." I told them before heading into my house. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I felt nervous looking at it, but it was only Sebastian.

 **Sebastian: Is everything alright? You didn't seem yourself in art today?**

 **Clary: Fine thank you, just feeling unwell.**

 **Sebastian: Let me know if you need anything.**

The way that Sebastian was treating me was driving me crazy. I hated the fact he was being so nice to me, I just couldn't stand it. I didn't hang about waiting for Jace to respond. He took forever these days. Finally he responded.

 **Jace: I can come after 7?**

I looked at the clock. It was 5 o clock now. 2 hours to wait. 2 hours to stew.

 **Clary: That'll have to do.**

I decided to do myself up nice in those 2 hours. I'd been looking sickly and mopey the last couple of days. If I couldn't feel good, I'd make sure I looked good. Once I'd finished with my makeup, I threw on a pair of skinny jeans and a camisole with a bright coloured kimono over the top of it. It was 7.05 and I had a text from Jace.

 **Jace: I'm outside are you coming?**

I quickly grabbed the mascara from my drawer, shoving it into my pocket before I ran out to the car. As soon as I caught sight of Jace's face, I could barely contain the secret. I needed to tell him.

"Jace. I need to talk to you." I said as we driving.

"Sounds important." Jace flashed me a grin but I wasn't having any of it. I waited until he was concerned enough to pull over. "What's the matter?" It was now or never.

"I uh – found this in your car Jace." I mumbled, fumbling with the mascara in my pocket. Jace's face fell instantly and I knew that I'd stumbled on something here. "I want to know why you're lying." Jace immediately got uncomfortable and the energy in the air was making me uncomfortable.

"I wasn't going to tell you until I was sure, Clary." He was running his hands through his hair and I felt sick all of a sudden. I couldn't speak. I nodded for him to go on but he didn't seem to know where he was going with it.

"Is Lana involved?"

"Yes." He said, simply.

"Are you going to elaborate?" I could feel my anger building up inside. No amount of makeup could cover this up.

"I haven't even thought about how to put it into words."

"Try." I grunted.

"Lana came up to me in school the other day, approached me at my locker. Y'know how me and Lana had history? Before me and you?" I nodded, I wasn't liking where this was going. "She thinks she's –" Jace trailed off.

"I'm not sure I want to know." I decided all of a sudden. I had a horrible feeling in my chest. I felt sick all of a sudden. "Please don't say what I think you're going to say. Please Jace." I took a deep breath as he looked down at the floor.

"I knew as soon as I told you, you wouldn't want this anymore. I knew that it would be the end of us. I just wanted a few more days with you, a few more days of us before reality caught up. She says she's pregnant." Jace finally admitted and I slowly released the air that was painfully building up in my chest.

"When were you going to tell me?" I asked, kneading my hands.

"After I'd been to the scan. When I knew it was the truth." Jace informed me.

"Why would she lie?"

"I don't know but I don't know how she can be pregnant. We used protection. Sorry, I know you don't want the details but I've been struggling with it."

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I wanted to be sure."

"You lied to me though Jace. Like lied to my face."

"I didn't want to hurt you." He protested, trying to hold my hands. I shrugged him off, looking out of the window.

"You hurt me more by lying to me." I said plainly. I wasn't sure what hurt me more actually. "Have you been for it then? The scan?" I muttered, looking at the world walking past.

"Its next week." Jace said. I nodded lightly, tears rolling down slowly down my cheeks. "Speak to me Clary." He tried to place his hand on top of mine once more but I pulled away once more. "Please." He said at a whisper. I turned to face him, well aware that makeup was running down my cheeks.

"I'm not sure I can handle this." I shook my head.

"The pregnancy? I know." Jace tried to comfort me.

"Not that Jace. The lying. You should have told me when I asked. You should have trusted me." I wiped my eyes dry. "The sneaking around, the making me feel like I'd done something wrong." I took a deep breath. "I got into this car with you today Jace and I could barely contain the fact that I had found a mascara in _your_ car. I told you every single thing that Sebastian put me through, I trusted you with my heart Jace, and I trusted you with everything about me. You had the chance to share something that was troubling you with me and you lied." Jace looked uncomfortable, twitching in his seat. I was starting to feel uncomfortable myself. I just wanted my bed and about 100 hours worth of sleep.

"Do you think it'll make you feel better if we spent some time away from one another?" Jace asked.

"I think that'll make me feel worse." I grumbled, completely and utterly confused.

"I think I want to give you some space. You might not think you need it, but I feel like you do. I think you'll feel better for the time to yourself and a chance to really think things through." I could think of anything worse. We'd broken up for a weeks-vacation at school and here was Jace suggesting that I spend all of this time by myself. Maybe he was right though. Maybe I did need to think this through and think about what I wanted. The way Jace had behaved – could I deal with that after everything I'd already been through with Sebastian? _Honestly? I wasn't sure._

"Do you need some space?" I asked him, holding back tears.

"No, but you do. I love you Clary. You know I do. Hence why I'm giving you the space you need. I'll always be a phonecall away, a text away. If you text me and tell me to be there, I'll be there."

Everything I wanted to say, I'd said. Jace was right, I did need some time to myself. He offered to drive me home but I insisted that I would walk. I wasn't really that far away. I promised him before I left that I wouldn't tell anyone about Lana's apparent pregnancy. _Lord, I wished I didn't know about it._ My walk home led me past Main Street, groups of drunken men and women staggering around the street, looking for their next drink. I skirted around the groups, until I heard my name shrieked loudly.

" **CLAAAAAARY!** " A voice called. Turning on my heel, I saw Jordan staggering through the crowd, his hand above his head as he manoeuvred through. Sebastian was with him, as well as a couple of other college boys.

"Hi Jordan." I smiled at him. "Sebastian." I said, not wanting to be rude. Sebastian seemed a lot more sober than Jordan. Jordan was informing the other boys who I was before inviting me out with them. I politely declined before wishing them a good night and heading home. Sebastian chased after me.

"Hey, let me walk you."

"I'm alright, go and enjoy your night."

"I don't want you hurting yourself." Sebastian said.

"I think I actually have _more_ chance of doing that with you around." I said bitterly.

"Clary, I'm trying to turn over a new leaf here. Can you stop being so vicious to me all the time?" He said and I realised I had been a bit harsh.

"I'm alright to walk home by myself thank you." I walked slightly ahead. He didn't walk alongside me but I could feel him walking about 3 feet behind me. We walked a couple of blocks before I turned around to face him. "What are you doing? I said I could walk myself home."

"I'm not walking you home. I'm just making sure you get there okay." He said, trailing me still. I grumbled but stopped complaining. I wasn't going to win this battle. Once I'd made it to my house, Sebastian watched me in before turning back and heading towards Main Street. Because I had been so concerned with what Sebastian had been doing, I hadn't noticed Jace's car out front. He was sat with Jon in the kitchen playing some card game. _Was this his idea of giving me space?_ I headed straight up the stairs and out of the way. Now that I was on my own, I allowed myself to totally break down. I wasn't even sure what I was crying about anymore. _Was it because he'd lied to me? Was it because she was pregnant? No. It was because I loved him and this whole situation was breaking my heart. How was our relationship going to survive this?_

I curled up under my covers but I didn't sleep. I ran through every possible scenario in my head and thought about it thoroughly. My parents were still out of town so I had no one to hassle me, no one to break my chain of thought. I was up thinking until 3am. By that time I was pretty sure I'd made my mind up. I reached for my phone, knowing that it would be a long shot as I had heard Jace leave hours previously.

 **Clary: I'm ready to talk.**

I penned the message and went to place the phone down. It hadn't even touched the counter when a reply came in.

 **Jace: I'm on my way.**

I washed my face while I was waiting and tied my hair back away from my face, trying to make it less obvious that I had been crying so much. Jace must have used the spare key to get into the house because as I was brushing my hair out, I heard creaks on the floorboards before a light knock rang out at my door. He didn't look fantastic. He looked pretty stressed. He walked over to my bed, sitting himself down.

"I'm assuming you have come to a decision." Jace muttered. "I'm not going to lie, I thought you would have been thinking about it for longer." He was talking into his lap, not his usual self at all.

"I have to admit, it was a shock. It took me a while to start thinking rationally about it all. I realised I shouldn't even be thinking about the pregnancy. That has nothing to do with me. It happened before us, before you really even knew me. I ruled that out of my thinking. It came down to the lying Jace. I need you to promise me that you _won't_ lie to me again Jace. I can't stand being lied to ever since –"

"I promise." Jace cut over me, a look of shock taking over his features.

"My previous relationship." I finished. "After thinking about it, I couldn't let this tear us apart Jace. I can't stand to even think about being without you. I know we haven't been together long but it feels like it's been an eternity. It's something that I'm not ready to give up on." I confessed as I moved myself closer to him. "Because I love you. I love you Jace." I could feel myself getting upset again. Jace reached out for me and I dived into the hug, wrapping my arms and legs around him in unison. My lips immediately sought out his, my hands resting on either side of his face. He lifted himself up from the bed, lifting me up with him before laying me down in the middle of it. He rested himself over me, his lips devouring mine as his hands snaked up my waist. My hands ran through his hair as his chest heaved against my own. My fingernails raked up his back, bringing his tshirt with them. In the moment, I started to pull it over his head. He broke the kiss as I removed his shirt, our lips instantly seeking one another again. I felt every inch of his chest with both my palms and the backs of my hands. His lips broke away from mine, his kisses extending down my jaw and my throat. He kissed along my collarbone before his chin fell to the bottom of my shirt. He lifted the material ever so slowly with his hands as his jaw brushed the skin of my stomach, his lips delivering the softest of kisses from my hips to my belly button. I giggled lightly under his touch, his stubble making me ticklish. His thumbs tracing patterns up my sides, and just under my bra. His lips tracing further and further, up to my ribs and then –

"I think that's enough for one night." He smirked, kissing me gently on the forehead and then on the lips once more.

"Wha-?" I muttered, a light blush taking over my face.

"What was it you said? Treat them mean, keep them keen?"

 **Thank you all for sticking with this story. I appreciate every single one of you and I love reading your reviews!**

 **All of my love, until the next time!**

 **~Sapph**


	38. Chapter 38

**Thank you for your reviews! They mean the world!**

I sat on the bed next to Jace, my legs draped over his.

"Do you mind talking about it?" I asked, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Do you _want_ to talk about it?" He said. I nodded my head.

"Why haven't you just gotten her to take a test? Rather than waiting for a scan?" I questioned. It had been bothering me since he'd first mentioned it.

"Alec." Jace said simply.

"Alec knows?" I said confused.

"Alec is the most rational person I know. I couldn't go to my parents. I didn't want to tell you because I wasn't sure how you'd react. Alec told me not to trust pregnancy tests. He said once I'm at the hospital and that scan is in front of me then I have to believe she's pregnant. Then if and when she gives birth, I'll get a DNA test and we'll go from there." I nodded along.

"I think Alec has been watching a few too many soap operas." I smirked. "But seriously, if you're not even sure that she is pregnant why are you letting her dictate your life?" I had to ask.

"Before I was adopted Clary, before that all knew was deadbeat dads. I've told you about my mum, I couldn't do that to a kid. I don't want to risk that that child is mine and that I fob her off. Even if the child isn't mine, at least I know in my head that I did everything right by myself."

"At the same time though, you can't let her walk all over you Jace." I said honestly. He looked at me sighing. "Sorry if that's harsh but it's how it looks to me. There's nothing wrong with helping her out but you need to draw some sort of line."

"I understand that." Jace held my hand. "I'm sorry for shutting you out Clary. How about we spend the next week together? You haven't already got plans have you?" I shook my head. "I'll let you know every time she gets in touch and you can help me figure out if she's just taking the piss, fair?" I nodded, cuddling into the crook of his arm. "I really appreciate this Clary, giving me a chance." Once my questions were answered, I fell into an easy sleep cuddled up against Jace's side.

I awoke early the next morning to Jace's phone blaring. Struggling from his grasp, I tried to tap his chest to wake him up. He started to stir just as his phone was powering down. Once he had woken up, he checked his phone. 9 missed calls and 7 messages from Lana. The messages went from 'Can you call me?' to full on cursing him out. Jace sighed before dialling her number back.

"Hello?" I started busying myself around the room, trying not to eavesdrop. "Right, okay. Where's this? Fine. I'll be 10 minutes." He looked at me once he was finished on the phone, apologetically. "She wants to know if I can take her to the doctors."

"I see." I said as Jace started getting himself ready.

"You're coming." Jace said simply, heading into the bathroom. I followed him in, shaking my head.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" I asked. Jace smiled over at me.

"I think so. We're in a relationship Clary. Lana knows that. It's not as though I'm dragging you to her scan. There's no invasion of her privacy here. If the child is as mine as much as she says it is, then I have every right to tell my girlfriend." I was still looking unsure. When I meant that Jace stopped letting her walk all over him, I didn't mean this. "I _want_ you to come."

"Alright then. I'll come." I agreed, pulling my socks on.

I was a bundle of nerves sitting in the front of Jace's car as we drove down the road. It was hard not to feel out of place. I placed my hands within my lap and kept my eyes on the road ahead. Lana emerged from her house as soon as she saw the front of Jace's car pull up. She was dressed in a pair of booty shorts and a vest t-shirt, a smile painted all over her face. That look quickly changed when she caught sight of me sitting front and centre. She opened the door to the back, and popped her head in.

"Jace. Can I have a word in private please?" She eyed me angrily. Jace looked back at her leisurely.

"Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of Clary." He put simply. She huffed, climbing into the back of the car.

"Why is she here?" She said bitterly, pulling her seatbelt on. _I am here you know._ I rolled my eyes and looked out of the window.

" _Clary_ is my girlfriend. I wanted her here. It's as simple as that." Lana crossed her arms and her legs in sync, looking out of her own window with a pout on her face.

"You're going to end up making me lose this baby if you keep stressing me out like this." Lana grumbled under her breath. I couldn't contain myself. I span in my seat to face her in the back.

"That is a really horrible thing to say Lana." I said honestly. "All Jace has done is went out of his way to help you at every opportunity."

"This has _nothing_ to do with you. Why are you even here?" Lana growled at me. I shook my head. I couldn't be bothered with this.

"Jace, just let me out. I'll catch up with you later. I'm not in the mood to play games."

"Clary, I want you here." Jace tried to affirm but I'd made my mind up.

"Text me when you're done okay? I'm good to get out here." I tried to ignore the smile Lana was now adorning in the back seat. I leant over, kissing Jace on the lips sweetly before hopping out of the car. The walk home was a long one but it was a nice day and I wasn't bothered about getting a little fresh air. As I was walking past a fruit and veg stall, I span around when someone called my name. Sebastian came running out from alongside it, laden with bags.

"Is everything alright?" He asked walking next to me. I nodded my head, walking. "Are you not talking to me because Jace would get annoyed if he saw you with me?"

"Jace doesn't care who I talk to. I just think he'd wonder whether I'd lost my mind." I said plainly, crossing the road.

"I just want to make things up to you Clary, I know it will take a while. But I'm willing to try. Do you want some fruit?" I looked at him like he had two heads.

"You think fruit is going to solve this?" I asked.

"Well no, but I thought a bit of vitamin C or something might perk you up a little." I had to laugh.

"Actually, I would like an orange." I held my hand out and he placed one in my palm. "You haven't laced this have you?" I questioned. He looked at me down his nose. "I'm sorry, it was a joke." He kept walking alongside me as I pulled my orange apart.

"So I hear Lana is pregnant, that's a bit unfortunate isn't it?" He commented, completely out of the blue. I spat pieces of orange everywhere. "Sorry, I didn't mean it to come out so sudden."

"Have you orchestrated this?" I asked immediately. "Is this one of your games to try and push me and Jace away from one another?" Sebastian shook his head.

"No, I only heard about it today. Orchestrated it? I wouldn't dream of it."

"How do you know then?" I questioned, watching him like a hawk.

"Jordan told me." Sebastian shrugged, fishing around in his fruit bag.

"How?"

"Because she's told one of Jordan's friends that he might be the father? What's his name again – Carl? Chris? Something like that." He shrugged, taking a bite.

"So how is it unfortunate for me?" I queried.

"Well because Jace is the other potential father isn't he? At least that's what Jordan told me?" Sebastian shrugged. _Did Jace know this? That he only had 50% chance of being a father? Why wasn't she making this Chris/Carl character run around and do all of her bidding?_ "I'm assuming Jace doesn't know that he's one of two?" Sebastian asked. I shook my head.

"He hasn't a clue."

"Are you going to tell him?"

"I'm going to have too." I sighed. "I need to know more about it though. I need to speak to Jordan. Do you know where he is?"

"He's waiting for me back at the flat. You can tag along if you want."

I headed along with Sebastian, all the way to their college dorms. Jordan was doing pull ups in the doorway when we arrived. He quickly hopped down when he saw us.

"Dare I ask?" He looked between us, like something was amiss.

"I need to ask you something actually. About Lana." I said. Jordan instantly looked at Sebastian.

"You _weren't_ supposed to say **anything.** "

"I already knew Lana was pregnant. I was just under the assumption that there was only one potential father." I told him.

"There's two. Jace and Chris." Jordan said. "Lana told Chris that he could be the dad, but that there's also another potential father. Jace."

"Well Lana has told Jace that it's just him."

I left ten minutes later, thanking Jordan for the information. Jace had offered to pick me up and I waited for him a little while away from the dorms just so that he didn't think I'd been playing into Sebastian's hands again.

"I need to talk to you." I said to him as soon as I climbed into the car.

"Shoot." He said, seemingly in a good mood.

"It's about Lana."

"What about her?" He was stiffening up a little bit.

"Someone else thinks they might be the father as well."

"Where have you heard this?"

"Jordan told me."

"And it's not one of Sebastian's games?"

"No. It's his friend Chris or someone." I was starting to feel a little under pressure.

"Right." Jace said simply before turning his car around in the middle of the road.

"Where are we going?"

"Lana's. I'm going to ask her outright about this."

I sat in silence as we travelled the rest of the way. Jace's temper was almost off the charts, his hands almost crushing the steering wheel under his grip. He skidded to a halt outside of her house and crossed her front yard in as little as four steps before pounding on the door. Lana opened the door a fraction before telling Jace to come in. He stepped over the threshold but I could hear the shouting from where I was sat inside the car. He emerged from the house a few moments later, his hair was out of shape and his hands were balled at his sides. He opened the door, climbed into the car and took off once more, all in silence. I sat in the front seat, watching out of the window, waiting for him to talk to me. We reached his house and I followed him silently up to it. Nobody was home. I followed him straight up the stairs and into his bedroom. We sat there in silence for a good while. Jace seemed to be in his head while I thoroughly investigated my cuticles. I was taken aback when Jace's face was right in front of my own kissing me deeply as his hands lifted me effortlessly from the bed, placing me in his lap. I kissed him back but his kisses were desperate and hungry. I pressed my hands firmly against his shoulders, pulling myself back from him. He grumbled, flipping me so that I was under him, his lips finding my own once more. He kissed down my throat, down my collarbone as I said his name lightly, warningly. His hands found their way up the side of my shirt and I pushed him away with my legs as I stood on the opposite side of the bed.

"I just want to forget it ever happened, I need a distraction." He shook his head, sitting himself down on the bed.

"This is not how this is going to go down Jace. We're going to talk about it. What happened in that house?" I asked, walking around the bed but standing far enough away so that I was out of his grasp.

"Clary, please." He reached out for me, wanting human contact. I shook my head. I wasn't going near him when he was like this.

"Get it off your chest Jace. Then I'll give you a cuddle." His face was filling with rage.

"She had someone in there." He grunted. "I asked her, what about the baby?" Jace's breathed deep and heavy as he tried to calm himself. It wasn't working, his face was filling with colour. "She said she'd fucking lost it. Today." He wiped a hand down his face as he tried to regain composure. Somehow deep down I'd just been waiting for this to happen. I kept my distance as Jace muttered under his breath, his hand still over his face.

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked, hanging over near the door. He looked up at me through tear-stained eyes as though he was looking at me for the first time since we had arrived here.

"Never." He climbed to his feet and approached me. I was no longer scared as he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me like I was weightless. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, my legs around his waist and we just stood there. Holding one another.

 _ **Thank you for reading! I always appreciate feedback!**_

 _ **All of my love, until the next time!**_

 _ **~Sapph**_


	39. Chapter 39

**Guess who's back! I've been on a mission this week to catch up with all of my stories! Hopefully you should be seeing more updates from me over the upcoming weeks as I am finally sorted and all moved in! Thank you for supporting me and my stories (:**

"You do realise she never was pregnant." I asked Jace as he sat me down on the bed, sitting himself down next to me. He pulled his t-shirt over his head.

"I know." He smiled weakly. "I know. It was all a game to her. I'd just convinced myself that there was a baby." He shook his head. "I'm embarrassed and relieved and devastated all rolled into one." He sighed, lying back on the bed. I crawled up his body, until my face was level with his. I kissed his nose lightly before pecking his lips. "Stay the night?" He asked.

"I'm not sure, my parents –"

"Tell them you're staying at Isabelle's. Please." Jace pleaded, puppy dog eyes.

"Fiiiiine. But just because you're desperately in need."

"I am very desperate and very needy." Jace smirked, nibbling at my earlobe. I swatted him off, laughing. I went to sit up but he grabbed me around the middle, pulling me back to the bed as he wrapped me in his arms, latching on. I tried kicking my legs out but he held firm and eventually I gave up, relaxing against him. He moved his hips back allowing me to shape my body against his. I placed my head into the pillow, flushing. I could feel _him_ against me, pressing against me. His hands rose up to my waist as his thumbs caressed the skin, his fingertips rising and falling. I placed my hands on top of his, guiding him where he was and wasn't allowed to go. He span me around in his arms, his lips finding mine as his hands held me firmly against him. His hands crept up the back of my t-shirt. I wrapped a leg around his body and he pulled us up so that he was sitting, with me in his lap. His hands pulled my t-shirt from my body, discarding it on the floor. I pressed my body against his bare torso and felt him twinge beneath me. His hands settled over the clasp of my bra and I breathed in sharply, breaking the kiss. Jace's eyes were closed, his mouth pressed against mine.

"Is this okay?" He muttered against my lips. I nodded and he unclasped it. I pressed myself up against his body as he peeled it from my skin, suddenly extremely embarrassed. I kept my skin pressed against his own, not wanting him to see my chest. My bra stuck firm to my breasts, held in place by Jace's torso. His fingers lightly caressed the skin where her my bra strap had been, his hips moving gently against me. I placed a hand under his chin, holding his lips to mine as I kissed him longingly. Jace's hands moved up my shoulder blades and across my shoulders, sliding my straps down my arms. I shrugged out of it, resting another hand in his hair, playing with individual strands as my tongue mingled with Jace's. I could feel my face flushing as Jace reached between us, swiping the bra from its resting place and casting it onto the floor. I pressed myself firmly against him as he raised his hips, and I could feel _him_ again. I moaned lightly against his lips, my fingernails tracing down his back. His hands were back on my shoulder blades, holding me close and kissing me deeply. When he broke the kiss, I spoke lightly against them, my eyes closed.

"I think that's enough for one night." I smirked.

"You're the boss." He was smiling at me as I opened my eyes.

"That's debatable." I laughed, climbing from his lap and seeking out my bra once more. I put it on with my back to Jace – not quite ready to go there yet. Jace grabbed my hand, pulling me back over to the bed, so that I was sat on his lap once more.

"You're so beautiful Clary." He smiled as he ran his fingers up and down my sides. "I don't think I thanked you properly for sticking by me with the Lana situation. You truly are amazing."

"Stop trying to butter me up." I laughed, kissing the end of his nose. He flicked his nose against mine before his lips sought mine out once more. He held my back as he flipped me over so that he was lying above me. His hands caressed my stomach, making me giggle and squirm beneath him. His lips parted from mine as he focused on tickling me and making me scream. Once he was satisfied, he laid down next to me.

"I could live like this forever." He commented. I placed my head on his chest, cuddling in. "You tired, Red?"

"Little bit." I yawned, wrapping my leg up with his.

"Don't get too comfortable. Let me put a film on first." He smiled, hopping up and setting up the television. I sent my parents a quick message, telling them I'd be staying out for the night before I snuggled under the sheets, waiting for Jace to join me.

Jace took me home early that morning so that I could get changed before school. My parents were already out and I quickly got myself changed and headed back into Jace's car. Jace wrapped his hand up in my hair, pulling me towards him and kissing me passionately.

"What was that for?" I asked, breathlessly as he pulled away.

"Because I love you." He shrugged as he pulled the car away. I went to school that day with my head in the clouds, feeling not just on cloud nine but cloud ninety nine. It was hard to think that a few days ago I'd thought that this entire relationship was completely hopeless and now here I was, head over heels once more. I didn't see Jace the rest of that school day but I still kept my spirits up. Art was even remarkably unpainful. Sure, you could cut the tension between Iz and Sebastian with a knife but apart from that, it went swimmingly. Sebastian caught up to me as we were leaving the room, I could see Iz watching from across the room.

"Hey Clary – do you fancy going for a coffee and a catch up?"

"No thanks, Seb. I'm meeting Jace." I smiled at him lightly before ducking away from him, not wanting to make Isabelle feel bad. Jace was waiting for me next to his car, Lana in tow. My attention was peaked. I slowed my pace down as I was walking over, you could quite clearly see they were arguing. Lana started to storm away just as I was about to reach them, heading in my direction.

"You!" She pointed straight at me as Jace hastily locked his car and started sprinting up behind her. "This is all your fault." She rounded on me.

"I don't think so Lana. You've brought this on yourself." I went to take a step past her but she blocked me. I didn't even see her fist swing at me until it impacted with my cheek. It stung. Jace had rounded on her pulling her away before she could hit me again as I stood there, shocked. Once Lana had stormed off, Jace was at my side, checking my face for injuries. I was just glad that the car park was nigh on deserted.

"Are you alright? That looked like it hurt." Jace questioned as I shrugged.

"It didn't tickle, but I think I'll survive." I smiled as Jace bundled me into the car.

"If it cheers you up at all, you've got me all to yourself."

"That always works a charm." I smiled. "To think a few months ago we were sneaking around in bowling alleys." I giggled.

"Thankfully we don't have to sneak around anymore." Jace pulled over, leaning over to kiss me. "Ever." _Kiss._ "Ever." _Kiss._ "Again." _Kiss._ My heart was aflutter.

"I hope not." I smiled.

"I know as much." He smiled, reassuringly. Just as he was about to get out of the car, his phone started to ring. He checked the caller before answering.

"Hey. Yeah? Yeah, that's fine. I'm in the car now. Yeah, I'll head over. I've got Clary with me, is that alright? Perfect. I'll be there in about 15 minutes. See you, bye." I looked at him. "Alec. The alarm is going off at the house and him and Magnus are out of town, so he's asked me to call by just to make sure all is okay." He smiled. "Is that alright?"

"Yeah, fine. Although, if someone is inside that house, how are you planning on finding them?" I teased.

"I have my ways." He smirked, heading for Alec and Magnus' mansion. When we arrived, it was just as majestic as the first time I had seen it. Jace walked up to the door, gaining access by what I guessed was some sort of smart fingerprint technology. He guided me through the house to an alarm panel that was hidden inside a study. "I need you to stand very still." He smiled at me as he flicked some switches downward on the panelling. I watched on intrigued. The panel beeped continuously as the switches flicked back up. Once all the switches were flicked, the beeping stopped.

"And what was that?" I questioned. Jace shut the panel back over.

"It's a security feature. It scans each room in the house for movement and if there's movement in any of those rooms the switch says active, so you can either call the police, or go catch yourself an intruder."

"So there's no intruders?" I asked.

"Nah, must have been a fault with the alarm." Jace said, with a look on his face. I furrowed my brow.

"Or, you got Alec to call you and pretend there was a fault so you could bring me here." Jace looked amused. "Somehow I don't think alarm systems as advanced as these ones make such mistakes…" Jace burst out laughing.

"Am I that easy to read?" Jace smiled. "Let's go and get you some ice for that face. I'd hate to see it bruise." Jace led me through to the kitchen and got me some frozen peppers to stick on my face.

"So, why have you brought me here?" I questioned.

"Magnus and Alec are away. I thought I'd be nice to have some down time. They have some pretty neat things here. Pool tables, swimming pools, tennis, cinema – anything you want to do, we can do it here. They said we could stay the night if we wanted – if your parents are cool with that, that is."

"I'd have to ask." I smiled. "But if it were up to me, I'd love to." I removed the ice from my face, five minutes would be enough. "Come on then, you can decide what we do first."

"Do you like swimming?"

"I do – but I don't have a swimming costume with me." I said coyly. Jace just shook his head, pulling me along behind him to the sublevels of the house. The swimming pool was nothing like I imagined it to be. It was absolutely colossal. "Do Magnus and Alec use every room in this house?" I asked as Jace removed his shoes.

"Well they won't use every room every day, but they try to use them as much as possible. That's where we come in – we'll use them for them." He shrugged himself out of his t-shirt. His pants came off next and I had to bite my lip when he slipped into the pool in just his underwear. "The water isn't cold you know – come on, try it." He smiled, splashing water at me. Part of me wished that I had just gotten into the pool when he had, now that he was already in it would look like I was doing some sort of weird strip tease. I shrugged out of my jacket, folding it carefully on the side of the pool. I removed my t-shirt next before turning onto the buttons of my jeans. Before I slipped them down my legs, I took a look down them to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. Jace started laughing loudly.

"What on earth are you doing?" He giggled. "Hiding your manhood?" I shot him a look.

"Yes actually." I teased. "Don't want you getting jealous." Jace splashed me again as I shimmied out of my jeans. I moved to the side of the pool, diving over his head, swimming under the water and surfacing at the other end of the pool.

"Show off." Jace smirked, swimming towards me. Every time he got within touching distance of me, I swam away. "Jesus, you're pretty fast."

"What I lack in co-ordination in my everyday life, I somehow make it up in the water. I must be a mermaid at heart." I joked before swimming under the surface, kicking off the wall. Jace must have been waiting for me as he caught me around the middle, forcing me up to the surface. He could stand on the floor of this part of the pool but I couldn't. He held me by my waist as though I was weightless as he walked a little bit deeper, still touching the floor. I was forced to wrap my legs around one of his, to keep myself afloat without exerting any effort. Jace pushed my hair back from my face. His lips were on mine, one hand on the back of my head, the other pressing against my back. I placed my hands on either side of his face, deepening the kiss. My legs shifted from his thigh, wrapping around his waist. He moved in the water from the centre of the pool over to the edge, pressing my back against it lightly. I felt him stiffen underneath me and moaned lightly into his open mouth. He groaned against me, his hands moving down to my bum, cupping it. His fingers kneaded my skin as I grew hot under his touch.

"I don't think Alec would take too kindly to us doing this in his pool." I muttered as Jace kissed down my throat.

"I'm sure they've done worse in this pool." He muttered against my skin as he kissed down my cleavage. His mouth found mine once more as he lifted me onto the pool's edge. "I think we should probably get out before it becomes a little bit more than PG-13." I pouted. Jace was right though – I wasn't ready for that. Not yet.

 **Thank you for reading my stories!**

 **Please feel free to leave me a review!**

 **All of my love,**

 **Until the next time.**

 **~Sapph**


	40. Chapter 40

Jace dragged me along to the kitchen once we had dried ourselves from our escapades in the pool. "I'm going to rock your world. Sit yourself down." He sat me down in the chair as I dried the tips of my hair. My phone vibrated in front of me as Jace started messing around with pots and pans.

 **Mum: That's fine honey. I'll see you at the weekend. Love you.**

 **Clary: Love you too mum.**

"Anything interesting?" Jace questioned as he was dicing peppers.

"My parents seem to be away until the weekend, so I'm allowed to stay." Jace beamed at me, dropping the knife and kissing me happily.

"We'll go pick you some clothes up after we've eaten. Can't have you going to school tomorrow in the same clothes – you'll be talked about. And we can't have that Red."

"The school might be talking about me anyway – if word about Lana trying to knock my block off circulates."

"It's a good job I'm there to shut them all up then isn't it?" I laughed at him. _I didn't doubt it._

After we had eaten, we snuggled up together on a cuddle chair that Magnus and Alec had in a very well lit room. The walls of the room were made up by windows that looked out over the acres of forest that surrounded the mansion. I curled myself up into the shape of Jace's body, his arms pulling me in closer to him. His hands smoothed down my hair as I closed my eyes, basking in the light that was quickly dimming.

"Your hair looks wonderful in this light." Jace mused. I turned to face him, resting on my elbows.

"As does yours. Looks like you have a little sun on your head." He scrubbed my hair, making me giggle.

After we'd been to my house to pick up some clothes for the next day, we got straight into bed to watch some TV series or another. I watched Jace more than I watched the TV show. It was great seeing him laugh, enjoying the cheesy jokes that were being cracked. I settled in his arms, kissing his chest lightly. He tipped my head up to face him, his lips gently meeting mine in the sweetest of ways.

Simon caught up to me in the next day in form class, looking excited.

"What's got you in such a happy mood?" I smirked as he bounded up to me.

"You – me – party – tomorrow night?" He asked me, doing a little dance with his shoulders.

"I think I may have other plans." I said, furrowing my brows. "Whose party?"

"Well – remember how I got humped and dumped? Somehow I think I'm back in. It's some sort of frat party or something – I thought you'd like to go with me. For support and all that." Simon looked a bit dismayed.

"I'll think about it." I patted his shoulder as I headed off for the first lesson of the day.

I thought everything had been going perfectly. True to my luck, it all went spiralling downhill. When I was leaving school that day, heading across the grass to start my walk home, a firm hand grabbed my shoulder tightly, spinning me to face them. I'd been asked questions all day, my cheekbone having turned a lovely shade of purple and blue from where Lana had punched me the day before. Thankfully the ice had stopped the swelling. Sebastian was standing before me, a look of concern on his face.

"What the hell happened? Who did that to you?!" I could see his tell-tale signs. He was becoming agitated, his colour rising up his neck. I tried pulling myself away from him – of all the people to get like this. _How dare he?_

"It's nothing. I knocked myself at home." He grabbed my shoulder, pulling me away once more.

"Don't lie to me Clary – I know someone has hit you. Was it him? It was _him,_ wasn't it? The **bastard!** "

"Sebastian, leave it. No one hit me." I moved myself away from him as footsteps approached down the grassy bank. It was Jace, Isabelle in tow. The both of them looked mighty confused. As soon as Jace saw Sebastian's hands on me, he picked up his pace until they were level with one another. Jace laid his hands on Sebastian, pulling him back from me as Isabelle watched on from the top of the hill.

"Don't touch her." Jace growled, throwing Sebastian back. Sebastian dropped his bag to the floor, as he pushed his hair back rounding on Jace.

"Getting jealous are we?" Sebastian spat, rolling his sleeves up. "Worried I'm taking over your role?"

"What are you even talking about?" Sebastian was up in Jace's face, taunting him.

"I've seen her face. You've hit her. Don't try and pretend you haven't." Sebastian shoved Jace back, sending him reeling. Jace was quick to make up the distance between them, shoving Sebastian back equally as hard.

"You would know wouldn't you?" Jace spat as Sebastian regained his footing. "I'm not like you though, I don't hit women. I'm fine with hitting you though." I winced as Sebastian's closed fist impacted with Jace's face. I looked at Isabelle but she was rooted to the spot, looking on tears in her eyes. I dropped my own bag – _I had to break this up._ A rage had taken over Jace like nothing I'd ever seen before. His fists were pummelling into Sebastian, Sebastian unable to retaliate. I could see the hate in his eyes – all of the frustrations of the last few weeks being taken out on Sebastian. Sebastian was finally back on his feet, pushing Jace away from him before punching him in the chest, the face. Jace didn't let him get much in before they were tussling once more. I threw myself between them best I could, trying to push them away from each other. _I couldn't just stand idly by as they beat the crap out of one another._

I don't know who did it. I couldn't pinpoint whose fist it was. A sharp pain burst across my face as I tasted blood in my mouth as my bottom lip ripped. I held my hand up to it to stop the blood spilling down my shirt. Sebastian and Jace immediately broke apart. Sebastian's shirt was ripped down to his abdomen, his face bloody and starting to bruise. Jace didn't look much better, his lip bleeding and cheekbones red raw.

"Clary." Jace looked at me, not sure what to say. He looked mortified.

"Are you alright?" Sebastian was walking towards me, looking at me, eyes full of concern. I shrugged them off, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I could feel my tears hot on my face but I wiped them away as well.

"Just leave me alone." I gasped, as they both tried to come towards me. "Please." I added, grabbing my bag from the floor before I took off at a sprint. I reached my house out of breath, grasping my side. Jon emerged from the kitchen, horror on his face when he caught sight of me. He dropped the cereal bowl he was clutching on the kitchen counter. He was instantly at my side and I allowed myself to be cradled in his arms, tears stinging in my eyes.

"Who did this?" He finally said, cleaning my lip up with cotton wool. "Tell me who did it and I'll destroy them. I swear, I'll beat them to a pulp." He growled.

"Jon, I don't want any more violence." I shook my head, wincing as he swabbed at my lip. "Jace and Sebastian were fighting – I tried to break them up. Little good it was." I shrugged.

"So who did it?" Jon pushed for an answer.

"I don't know Jon. It could have been either of them." He sighed. "The point of it is, they shouldn't have been fighting in the first place. It's pretty simple. If they weren't throwing punches at one another in the first place, this never would have happened." Once Jon was sure that I was fine, he left the house. He promised me that he was only going to speak to Jace. I went to lay in the bath, feeling thoroughly drained. My phone vibrated on the side at least 4 times. I picked it up, looking at the messages.

 **Jace: We need to talk Clary – please, don't leave it like this. I am so sorry. I'm disgusted in myself. Please talk to me Clary. Please.**

 **Jace: Clary. Can I come over? I need to see you – please.**

 **Sebastian: I'm so sorry Clary. Can we talk? I can't believe I've let that happen again.**

 **Sebastian: Please. I feel like a disgrace.**

I decided to ignore them both. Let them stew. They needed to learn this lesson, that hitting people isn't the way to go about things, violence was never the acceptable answer. A few days of being in the dog house wouldn't hurt either of them. I instead opened my messages to another person. Simon.

 **Clary: So this party – what time are you picking me up?**

 **Simon: Yes Clary! 7pm?**

 **Clary: Sounds like a plan. See you then.**

I'd kept true to my word, not speaking to either of the boys, no matter how many times they messaged me. Jon had tried to plead Jace's case to me about how he was a mess, how sorry he was. I shrugged him off. It wasn't the fact that I had been hurt – they had been hurting each other and would have continued to do so had I not gotten between them. That was the lesson I wanted them to learn. My bruising had diluted somewhat the next day and was easily concealed with make-up. I dressed myself in a baggy white t-shirt with ripped sides and a pair of tight fitting dark blue jeans. I was shoving my boots onto my feet when Simon turned up. He was dressed in a comical Star Wars t-shirt and a pain of dark jeans. Once I was dressed, I gave myself a final once over in the mirror before grabbing my bag.

"Clary?" Jon was poking his head out of the door, looking at me curiously. "Off out?"

"Yeah, me and Clary are going out for the night to cheer her up." Simon smiled. Jon nodded, watching me suspiciously.

"Be careful Clary. You watch her Si." Jon nodded his head.

My feet were aching already when we reached the Frat house. People were spilling out onto the grass, bottles already laying strewn about the floor. Simon let me up into the house as I looked at him. He had very little hope of finding his friend amongst this crowd. Scantily clad females ran about the house, more than often chased by topless football players. It was bizarre how much of a step up there was between school and college – how everything became suddenly sexualised. I think I would have much rather have been at one of Magnus' parties. Simon got us drinks and I kept myself close to his side, scared that we would get separated and that I would suddenly be so far out of my depth. A shriek echoed from behind Simon as a flash of colour flew into his arms, wrapping herself around him. I suddenly felt like a third wheel, they stood talking as I drifted on the edge, rocking back and forth on my heels, sipping my drink. I suddenly screamed loudly as someone lifted me around the waist, holding me up in the air for a few moments. Simon was laughing as I felt my heels touch the floor once more. I span around to see Jordan grinning at me, arms open wide. He pulled me into a hug before leading me away from Simon who was attempting to see how far he could shove his tongue down his friend's throat.

"I heard about what happened at school, Sebastian is mortified." Jordan told me. I shook my head.

"No offence Jordan – I know that you're coming from a good place. But I just don't want to talk about it tonight. I came out to avoid it all." Jordan was nodding along.

"I get it. You won't hear another peep from me about it." He smiled toothily. "Would you like to dance?" He gestured to a room that had been set aside for that purpose.

"I haven't had nowhere near enough to drink." I laughed, Jordan answered me by handing me a red cup full of some liquid or other.

"Drink up." He joked. I sipped it a little as we walked around the house.

"So how come you're here anyway?" I questioned.

"Well, I know a couple of the guys who are in this fraternity." He shrugged, polishing his drink off. "And I'm an _amazing_ party guest."

I finished my own drink, keeping an eye on Simon who was on the other side of the room, superglued.

"He's not going anywhere. Don't worry yourself so much." Jordan teased. "Plus, I'll make sure you're alright. Can't have anything jeopardising our art project." I laughed at him as we weaved through the crowd. After about half an hour, I found myself on the floor with Jordan, having a whale of a time. Jordan's dance moves were hilarious and I spent more time doubled over in laughter than I did actually dancing. I only moved myself from the floor when some strange character came sliding up behind me, dancing a little too closely for my liking. I looked back over for Simon to see that he had disappeared. _Typical. Thanks Si._

My phone was ringing in my bag as I stepped away from the dancefloor to answer it. I found a relatively quiet corner, answering it. It was Jace.

"Clary – where are you?" I went to respond but he spoke over me. "Jon said you went out looking dressed up. You're at a party aren't you? I can hear the music, where are you?"

"I'm fine Jace. I'm with Simon and Jordan is here as well. I'm fine."

"Jordan? Really Clary?"

"He's a friend!"

"Speak to you later Clary." He grumbled. I looked at my phone frustrated, shoving it into my bag. I grabbed another drink from the table, trying to make Jordan out amongst the crowd but he seemed to be locking lips with some raven-haired girl on the dancefloor. I sat myself down on an inflatable chair that was nestled into the corner. I tapped my foot along to the music as I watched everyone in front of me. The whole chair wobbled as someone sat on the edge of it.

"Frat parties are so overrated." He muttered in a low tone. I could see him out of the side of my eye watching me. I nodded in agreement, holding my drink to my lips. "Cat got your tongue?" I looked at him. He had dark hair that lay in waves upon his head, his eyes were equally dark, and his build slender. I shrugged.

"Contemplating going home." I admitted, crossing my legs. His eyes were watching me in a way that made me feel uncomfortable.

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Where's the fun in Frat parties?" I retorted. He laughed.

"Let me get you a drink." He hopped up and headed over to the drinks table. He came back a few moments later, handing me a small cup. I finished my current drink, before placing the new one at my lips. I bit my lip painfully as someone knocked the cup from my hands from behind me. I turned around unimpressed to see Sebastian, eyes narrowed, squaring up against the guy who had been sat next to me.

"Seb, where on earth do you get off? Have you followed me here?" I got to my feet, pushing him backwards. _I'd be damned if I let this escalate into violence again._ Sebastian's hand fell protectively to my shoulder.

"I was here anyway Clary. I've kept my distance all night. Just watching you. When I happened to looking out for you, I saw a certain someone slip a certain something into a certain drink." I immediately turned my attention to the guy next to me, stepping back and closer to Sebastian. He laughed nervously, before giving me a sleazy grin.

"You can't blame a guy for trying." He shrugged before wandering off. Sebastian made to go after him but I held onto the back of his shirt.

"Can you just give it a rest, please? I've had just about enough of people fighting." Sebastian settled back, calming himself down.

"Sure Clary." He smiled. "Let me get you home. It's not really safe for you here."

 _I couldn't have agreed more._

 **Thank you for reading my stories!**

 **All of my love,**

 **Until the next time!**

 **~Sapph**


	41. Chapter 41

"I think you're right." Sebastian's chest puffed out, proudly. "It's not safe for me here, but I think I'm going to call my brother to come get me." I could see the hurt in his eyes but he quickly masked it.

"Fair enough, I'll stay with you until he gets here." I looked at him, dubious. "Just in case of unwanted strangers." _What was that old saying? Better the devil you know. At least I knew that Sebastian wouldn't try to drug me or drag me off into an alleyway. I had a feeling that he was overcoming that dark side of himself. Even if it was a slow process._

"I'd appreciate it." I smiled as we stood outside. I penned a quick message to Jon. He replied instantly as though he'd been expecting me to message him. I gave him the address with Sebastian's help and he told me he'd be about 10 minutes. "I feel bad leaving Simon by himself." I admitted to Sebastian as we stood outside of the Frat house, waiting for Jon to show.

"Last I saw of him – he seemed to be enjoying himself." He laughed and I couldn't help but smirk.

"Who'd have thought that after everything we'd been through we'd be actually getting on amicably?" I commented, a little taken aback myself.

"Well I always hoped it would come to this." Sebastian laughed before steadying himself, trying not to get ahead of himself. "I've learned to not take myself so seriously. Learned to enjoy things in life and realise that change isn't the end of the world." I wasn't sure if it was the drink talking or not. "You're much better for having left me Clary, I mean that. Even if it did take me a while to see it." As I was about to reply, Jon pulled up on the sidewalk. I gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder before climbing into the passenger seat.

"Was he bothering you?" Jon questioned, eyeing Sebastian suspiciously as he made his way back up to the house. I shook my head.

"I think he's actually had a bit of a 'eureka' moment." I admitted. Jon looked at me strangely, pulling away.

"Have you been drinking?" He questioned.

"I think I've had one or two – not a lot." I shrugged, settling back into the comfort of the chair. I looked out of the window at the scenery whooshing past. Trees after trees, parks and roads and lakes. _Lakes? We didn't have to pass any lakes to go home. But there were lakes on the way to Magnus and Alec's house._

"Hey Jon?" I said, sitting myself up to crane a view out of the windshield.

"Yeah?" He looked over to me, amused.

"We're going home right?"

"Oh, you wanted to go home?" Jon toyed with me. "I thought your message had just said to come and get you." I could see the shadow of a smile on his face.

"You're doing this on purpose. What's going on?" I sighed, sinking once again and rubbing my brow with my hand.

"You guys need to sort this out. I'm sick of Jace chewing my ear off and no doubt you'll be storming about the house once you come out of your little mood. This fixes it for everyone." He told me as he pulled up in front of the house.

"Shame I can't get into the house, looks like we'll just have to go home." I shrunk as far down in the seat as I could. Jon reached into the back seat, throwing an overnight bag at me.

"I've put some bits in there for you." He smiled. "You've got no excuse, Jace is expecting me. So you'll be able to get in just fine. See you at the weekend C." Jon practically removed me from the car, driving away at breakneck speed so that I couldn't make some James Bond level attempt to get back in. I walked up to the house, my ankles now killing from wearing these stupid boots. _Note to self – never wear these shoes again._ I clunked my way up to the front door, pushing it open lightly. My heels clunked along the marble floor as I searched for Jace. It didn't take long for me to find him. He was stood in the kitchen, a pair of jogging bottoms hanging carelessly from his hips. He was topless, his hair wet and pushed back over his head as he arranged snacks into bowls. I stood in the doorway, just watching him. The way he moved, the way his muscles rippled and the way he sang under his breath as he set himself about little tasks.

"I think I should tell you that my brother is coming around more often." I teased as I finally entered the room, placing my overnight bag over one of the chairs at the breakfast bar. Jace turned around to face me a mixture of confusion, happiness and hurt on his face.

"Clary?" Was all he managed, although I knew he had a different question he wanted to ask.

"The one and only." Jace didn't laugh – _bad sign._ "Jon forced me here." I shrugged as I started looking in cupboards. Jace nodded as though it was plausible.

"What on earth are you looking for?" Jace questioned me after five minutes of noisy searching.

"Alcohol." I muttered, looking in yet another cupboard. _Seriously – how many cupboards did one kitchen need?_

"For?" Jace said, bored.

"To cleanse my wounds." I mocked. Jace rolled his eyes, opening a cupboard that was out of my reach, even in heels. He fished out a couple of bottles, placing them on the table.

"They keep the alcohol up high – just in case a leprechaun breaks in." Jace mocked me back. I grabbed some glasses from the drainer, placing them at the table. I sat myself down, but Jace remained standing. "What's this about Clary?" He asked as I poured the liquid between the two tumblers.

"I feel like I need a drink. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, I just don't see why you had to come here to do it." I frowned, staring at him intently. I hadn't noticed the bruising at first. His chest was various colours, his face also in different stages of healing. I shrugged at his words.

"I'll get out of your way then." I smiled sweetly, picking up the tumbler in one hand and the bottle in the other. "Smell you later." I shouted as I walked from the kitchen. I wasn't sure where I was going but I kept a rule of thumb – always turn left and if you see stairs, go up and not down! After a few minutes of wandering, I settled on a room. It was a bedroom with a stand-alone bath in the middle of the room. A rocking chair adorned the corner and it was there I chose to sit. I looked into my tumbler, swirling the liquid before throwing it back. I squirmed as it burned my throat before warming my stomach. I poured myself another measure into the tumbler, resting it on the side of the chair.

"You want to go carefully with that stuff." Jace was stood in the doorway, his thumbs resting on his hips.

"How did you find me?" I demanded.

"You're clunking like a horse. A horse that's been shot to be specific."

"You know how to help me drink less?" I smiled, turning the conversation away from shot horses, Jace indicated with his head. "Drink some." I held the bottle up in his direction. He stalked into the room, sitting himself down on the bed.

"What are you doing Clary?"

"Drinking."

"No Clary – what are you _doing?_ What are you trying to achieve?" Jace seemed irritated. I drank the remnants of my second tumbler before pushing myself to my feet.

"I have had _enough_ of violence Jace, enough to last a lifetime. Everyone is so happy to solve problems with their fists and it is sooo _exhausting."_ I made sure to exaggerate my words. "Sebastian hits Clary. Jace wants to hit Sebastian. Lana hits Clary. Sebastian thinks Jace hit Clary. Sebastian hits Jace. Jace hits Sebastian for hitting him. And it just keeps going on and on and on, until everyone's hit each other and everyone wants to hit each other some more."

"I didn't realise you were so against violence." Jace commented, innocently.

"When you've been hit enough times for absolutely no reason, you kind of develop a sort of hatred for it. Zero tolerance if you will." I headed back for the bottle, I needed another drink. Jace walked over behind me, his hands moving around me to grab a firm hold of my hips.

"Don't." He said quietly, pulling me back into him. He span me in his arms, looking down at me. "I hate fighting with you Clary. I just wanted to protect you. I see now that I went the wrong way about it." I pressed half of my face up against his torso, savouring his warmth. I wasn't sure if it was the alcohol supressing my inhibitions or my relief at having finally fixed things with Jace but I pushed him backwards away from me and towards the bed. He fell back onto it in a sitting position, looking at me playfully. I moved myself between him before I placed one of my knees on either side of his legs. My crotch came to rest against his as I ran my hands through his damp hair, my lips hovering in front of his. I flicked my tongue against his bottom lip teasingly, as I rocked back and forth in his lap. His hands steadied me, wrapping around my back. One hand snaked up my shoulders, coming to rest on the back of my head. When I tried to tease him a second time, his hand forced my lips to collide with his. I smirked against them, as my thumbs traced out the linings of his chest. His hands were in my hair, against my back, creeping up my shirt. My skin tingled underneath his touch, my heart fluttering. His hands fell to my bum, cupping it before throwing me underneath him. I lay back on the bed, giggling lightly as Jace unzipped and removed my boots. Once they were off my feet, I wriggled up the bed. Resting on my elbows, his arms framed me as his face came down on mine once more, his mouth hungry. I lay flat on my back, my hands pulling Jace into me. No matter how close he was, I wanted him closer. He sat back and I moved with him, not wanting to break the connection between our lips. His hands kneaded at my hips before they rose higher, an inch at a time. My shirt rolled with his hands, higher and higher until he slipped it over my head. Every time Jace kissed me, I kissed him back feverishly. His hand fell to the button on my jeans, unbuttoning it as he nibbled at my neck. I helped him shimmy my jeans down my legs until they lay discarded on the bedroom floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he stood up, pulling me with him. My lips crashed into his once more. I felt _him_ beneath me, rubbing against me ever so slightly. I moaned against his lips, shivers rippling up my spine.

"Clary." Jace muttered against my lips as if trying to catch my attention. I kissed him to hush him. He moved me back to the bed, laying me down as he tried to pull himself away from me.

"I _want_ this." I hooked my fingers into his jogging bottom loops, forcing his weight back onto me. He chuckled, indulging me as our lips met once more. Summoning all the strength I could, I pushed him onto his back. Moving down his body, I kissed his throat and all along his collarbone. My fingers traced down his abdomen, stopping short of his hips. His hands pushed against my shoulders, pushing me back from him.

"Clary, you need to stop." He moved himself to a sitting position, still holding me back by my shoulders. I pouted instantly, starting to get insecure. I covered up my body, afraid of the rejection. "Don't be so silly Clary, you're beautiful." He embraced me, his mouth resting next to my ear. "I just don't want it to be like this. You're drunk. I don't want your first experience to be like this. I want you to be sober and alert." He smirked, kissing me softly on the lips. I blushed. "Now, stay put. I'm going to get you some water."

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Please feel free to review – it brightens up my day and speeds up the creative process!**

 **All of my love,**

 **Until the next time.**

 **~Sapph**


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